Basketball Bisons Host Arkansas-Monticello in Saturday Night Clash

Harding Game Notes

Harding (8-8, 6-4) vs. Ark.-Monticello (5-9, 2-8)
Jan. 24, 2015 • Rhodes Field House • Searcy, Ark. • 7:30 p.m.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Radio: KVHU 95.3-FM
Internet:
    Audio: www.HardingSports.com
    Video: www.HardingSports.com
Live Stats: www.HardingSports.com

THE COACHES
Jeff Morgan, Harding
    at Harding: 372-245 (21st season)
    Career: 389-255 (22nd season)
    vs. Ark.-Monticello: 25-19
Kyle Tolin, Ark.-Monticello
    at UAM: 5-9 (1st season)
    Career: same

THE SERIES
Series Record: UAM leads 61-55
in Searcy: HU leads 35-23
First Meeting: UAM 56-50 (12/17/1957)
Last Meeting: UAM 71-68 (12/6/2014)
Current Streak: UAM, 2 games

Harding begins the second half of its Great American Conference schedule Saturday as it hosts Arkansas-Monticello at 7:30 p.m. at Rhodes Field House. The Bisons have won seven straight home games.

Harding enters the game with an 8-8 overall record and 6-4 GAC mark. The Bisons have won their last three games and have risen to fourth in the GAC standings. Harding defeated Arkansas Tech 89-80 on Thursday. The Bisons made 15 3-pointers and Blake McNair led the team with 23 points.

Arkansas-Monticello is 5-9 overall and 2-8 in the GAC. The Boll Weevils are in last place in the conference standings and are coming off a 92-89 home loss to Southern Arkansas on Thursday. Sharif Hudson led UAM with 26 points.

Harding junior forward Andraz Kavas earned his first Great American Conference Player of the Week award on Monday. Kavas led Harding to two wins last week, averaging 22.0 points.

Harding is 6-0 in home conference games this season and has compiled a 27-7 conference record at the Rhodes Field House in three-plus seasons as a member of the GAC.

Harding Team Notes:
With its 15 3-pointers made against Arkansas Tech, Harding moved up to 11th in NCAA II with 10.6 3-pointers made per game. The Bisons have made 10 or more 3-pointers in 11 games.

Harding had 23 assists and a season-low four turnovers against Arkansas Tech and continues to lead the GAC in assist-to-turnover ratio. The Bisons have had more than 20 assists six times and fewer than 10 turnovers seven times.
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Junior guard Blake McNair leads the GAC and ranks 15th in NCAA II in 3-point field goal percentage (48.2 percent). McNair has made at least one 3-pointer in 13 straight games. Andraz Kavas (5th, 44.2) and Jacob Gibson (6th, 43.2) are also among the top 3-point shooters in the GAC.

Harding forward Andraz Kavas is the only player to rank in the top 10 in the GAC in field-goal percentage (6th, 54.4); 3-point field-goal percentage (5th, 44.2); and free-throw percentage (8th, 74.3).

Series Notes:
Harding and Arkansas-Monticello are meeting for the 117th time with the Boll Weevils leading the series 61-55. The Bisons hold a 35-23 advantage in games played in Searcy. Harding has won four of the last five meetings in Searcy. UAM leads the series 4-3 in GAC regular-season games.

Arkansas-Monticello won the first meeting between the teams this season, defeating Harding 71-68 on Dec. 6 in Monticello.

Jacob Gibson made four 3-pointers and led Harding with 21 points in the first meeting between the teams. Andraz Kavas had 12 points and 12 rebounds. Jamal Peterson and reserve Richard Benedyth both scored 16 points to lead Arkansas-Monticello. Cameron Blue had seven blocks.

Series Individual Records, Harding vs. Arkansas-Monticello:
    Points - 36, three times, last by Corey Camper (3/1/1990)
    Rebounds - 22, George Frazier (2/20/1969)
    Assists - 13, Cliff Miller (1/30/1995)

Opponent Notes:
Arkansas-Monticello is 5-9 overall and 2-8 in GAC games. The Boll Weevils are 1-4 on the road, including 1-3 in GAC road games. Arkansas-Monticello has lost its last three games, all at home. Its lone road win this season came at Southeastern Oklahoma, 85-61 on Jan. 8.

Arkansas-Monticello leads the GAC and ranks 19th in NCAA II with 4.9 blocked shots per game. The Boll Weevils have had at least one block in each game and had a season-high 11 blocks against Central Baptist on Jan. 10.

Senior Cameron Blue, a 6-foot-7 forward, ranks second in the GAC with 1.6 blocks per game. He set a season high with seven blocked shots against Harding in the first meeting between the teams.

Sharif Hudson, a 6-foot-2 senior from Pensacola, Florida, leads the Boll Weevils and ranks fifth in the GAC with 16.6 points per game. He has scored in double figures in five straight games, including a 26-point effort in UAM's loss to Southern Arkansas on Thursday.

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Players Mentioned

#44 Andraz Kavas: F; 6' 10"; Junior

#23 Blake McNair: G; 6' 4"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#44 Andraz Kavas
: 6' 10"; Junior
: F

#23 Blake McNair
: 6' 4"; Junior
: G

Players Mentioned

#44 Andraz Kavas

#23 Blake McNair

Players Mentioned

#44 Andraz Kavas

#23 Blake McNair