Harding Men's Basketball Opens GAC Action on Thursday at Northwestern Oklahoma

Harding (0-2, 0-0) at Northwestern Okla. (0-2, 0-0)
Nov. 19, 2015 • Percefull Field House • Alva, Okla. • 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: 378-253 (22nd season)
   Career: 395-263 (23rd season)
   vs. Northwestern Okla.: 3-3
Brad Franz, Northwestern Okla.
   at NWOSU: 0-2 (1st season)
   Career: 88-58 (6th season)

THE SERIES
Series Record: Tied 3-3
in Alva: NWOSU leads 2-1
First Meeting: HU 82-66 (1/5/2013)
Last Meeting: NWOSU 66-65 (2/5/2015)
Current Streak: NWOSU, 1 game

Harding and Northwestern Oklahoma will both be looking for their first wins of the season and looking to start their Great American Conference seasons with a victory Thursday at the Percefull Fieldhouse.

Harding suffered two close losses at the GAC/NSIC Crossover, hosted by Arkansas Tech last weekend. The Bisons lost a rollercoaster of a game to 18th-ranked Minnesota State-Moorhead 83-81 on a buzzer-beater in overtime. Northern State downed Harding 73-67.

Senior forward Andraz Kavas earned GAC/NSIC Crossover All-Tournament honors. Kavas had 27 points and seven rebounds against Moorhead and 28 points and six rebounds against Northern State.

Northwestern State also lost a pair of close games in the MIAA/GAC Basketball Challenge in Durant, Okla. The Rangers fell 74-71 to Central Oklahoma and 92-90 to Northeastern State.

Andraz Kavas enters the weekend with 956 career points. With 44 points, Kavas would become the 35th player in Harding history to score more than 1,000 points in his career.

Harding Team Notes:
Senior Jacob Gibson made his 140th career 3-pointer against Northern State. He currently ranks ninth in career 3-pointers at Harding and needs four more to pass Matt Hall (2003-08) for eighth and six more to pass Stephen Blake (2008-11) for seventh.

Senior Blake McNair is one of only three Harding players to rank in the top 10 in program history in both 3-point field-goal percentage and free-throw percentage. McNair is eighth in 3-point percentage (40.6) and fourth in free-throw percentage (85.6). The other two on both lists are Stephen Blake (2008-11) and Aaron Farley (1998-03).

Harding averaged 15.0 assists in its first two games to rank second in the GAC. Junior guard Will Francis leads Harding with 10 assists with only two turnovers.

The Bisons have had two players see action in their first two games that were not with Harding last season. Junior transfer Stefan Andelkovic has played in both games and averaged 7.0 points and 4.5 rebounds. True freshman Braden Eggleston has played seven minutes in the first two games.

Series Notes:
Harding and Northwestern State are meeting for the seventh time with the series tied 3-3. The Rangers have won two of the three meetings in Alva, Okla. The series began in the 2012-13 season. Harding won 69-63 in Alva on Jan. 4.

Last season, the two teams split the two contests. Harding won 92-72 in Searcy with Jacob Gibson scoring 23 points and John Hudson scoring a career-high 22 points. Harding set a school record by making 21 3-pointers. Northwestern State won 66-65 in Alva. Harding made 10 3-pointers in the game, with Blake McNair and Hudson making four each. McNair led Harding with 17 points. Andraz Kavas had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Series Individual Records, Harding vs. Northwestern Okla.:
   Points - 23, Hayden Johnson (1/4/2014) & Jacob Gibson (12/18/2014)
   Rebounds - 10, Jacob Gibson (12/18/2014) & Andraz Kavas (2/5/2015)
   Assists - 9, Weston Jameson (2/6/2014)

Opponent Notes:
Northwestern State enters the game 0-2 after falling twice in the MIAA/GAC Basketball Challenge. The Rangers were 9-18 overall last season, including 8-12 in the GAC. Northwestern was 6-6 in home games.

The Rangers had three players average more than 10 points last season -- Darrian Dempsey (13.1), T'aries Taylor (12.3), and Adrian Motley (11.3). Taylor and Motley both return this season.

Through its first two games, Northwestern ranks in the top three in the GAC in field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage, and 3-point field-goal percentage.

Brad Franz is the new head coach at Northwestern Oklahoma. Franz last coached in 1996 at Otero (Colo.) Junior College. He has spent the intervening years as an administrator and scout.

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Players Mentioned

#21 Will Francis: G; 6' 5"; Junior

#15 Jacob Gibson: G; 6' 5"; Senior

#22 John Hudson: G; 6' 4"; Senior

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

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

#42 Stefan Andelkovic: F; 6' 8"; Junior

#50 Braden Eggleston: F; 6' 6"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#21 Will Francis
: 6' 5"; Junior
: G

#15 Jacob Gibson
: 6' 5"; Senior
: G

#22 John Hudson
: 6' 4"; Senior
: G

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

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

#42 Stefan Andelkovic
: 6' 8"; Junior
: F

#50 Braden Eggleston
: 6' 6"; Freshman
: F

Harding University Athletics

Schedule

Events

Harding Men's Basketball Opens GAC Action on Thursday at Northwestern Oklahoma

Players Mentioned

#21 Will Francis

#15 Jacob Gibson

#22 John Hudson

#44 Andraz Kavas

#23 Blake McNair

#42 Stefan Andelkovic

#50 Braden Eggleston

Players Mentioned

#21 Will Francis

#15 Jacob Gibson

#22 John Hudson

#44 Andraz Kavas

#23 Blake McNair

#42 Stefan Andelkovic

#50 Braden Eggleston