Harding Men's Basketball Plays Home Opener Thursday against Southern Nazarene

Harding (2-3, 1-1) vs. Southern Nazarene (3-3, 2-0)
Dec. 3, 2015 • Rhodes-Reaves 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: 380-254 (22nd season)
   Career: 397-264 (23rd season)
   vs. Southern Nazarene: 4-2
Adam Bohac, Southern Nazarene
   at SNU: 145-82 (8th season)
   Career: same

THE SERIES
Series Record: HU leads 4-2
in Searcy: HU leads 3-0
First Meeting: HU 80-67 (12/1/2012)
Last Meeting: SNU 96-90 (2/19/2015)
Current Streak: SNU, 1 game

Harding Team Notes:
Senior Andraz Kavas has scored 20 or more points in each of Harding's first five games. It is the second time in his career he has a five-game stretch with 20 or more points. From Jan. 10-31, 2015, Kavas scored 20 or more in seven straight games. No other player in Harding's NCAA era has scored 20 or more points in the first five games of the season.

Harding leads the Great American Conference in field-goal percentage at 46.8 percent. The Bisons have shot 42.9 percent or higher in each of their five games. Harding's top shooting effort was 53.2 percent at Northwestern Oklahoma. The Bisons are 11th in the GAC in 3-point field-goal percentage at 33.6 percent.

Andraz Kavas leads the GAC in scoring at 26.4 points per game. He is one of only two players in the conference averaging more than 20.0 points per game. Sami Bzai of Southeastern Oklahoma is second at 20.7.

Series Notes:
Harding and Southern Nazarene are meeting for the seventh time with the Bisons holding a 4-2 lead. All six meetings have come in GAC games. Harding has won all three meetings in Searcy by an average of 15.3 points.

Harding and Southern Nazarene split last season's games, both winning at home. The Bisons won 80-55 in Searcy on Jan. 17, and the Crimson Storm won 96-90 on Feb. 19 in Bethany. Andraz Kavas averaged 25.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in the two games. Four others--Jacob Gibson (18.0), Will Francis (15.0), Blake McNair (14.5) and Reggie Anthony (10.0) averaged 10 points or more.

Harding averaged 85.0 points, shot 53 percent and made 23 3-pointers. Southern Nazarene averaged 75.5 points, shot 49 percent and made 20 3-pointers, shooting 51.3 percent from 3-point range.

Series Individual Records, Harding vs. Southern Nazarene:
   Points - 33, Hayden Johnson (11/23/2013)
   Rebounds - 10, Andraz Kavas (2/19/2015)
   Assists - 8, Weston Jameson (11/23/2013)

Opponent Notes:
Southern Nazarene is 3-3 overall and 2-0 in GAC games. The Crimson Storm won home conference games over Henderson State (83-70) on Nov. 19 and over Ouachita (87-74) on Nov. 21. All three of Southern Nazarene's losses have come in neutral-site games.

Southern Nazarene leads the GAC in 3-point field-goal percentage at 45.3 percent. The Crimson Storm has shot over 40 percent from 3-point range in five of six gamesand has made 10 or more 3-pointers in four of six games. Southern Nazarene has made 24 more 3s than its opponents and lead the GAC with 11.3 3-pointers per game.

Southern Nazarene senior CJ Rodriguez leads the GAC with 3.8 3-pointers made per game. His 23 3-pointers are the most by any GAC player.

Adam Bohac is in his eighth season at the helm of the Crimson Storm men's basketball program. Bohac is the fastest coach in school history to reach 100 wins. Bohac led the Crimson Storm to its first GAC Championship tournament in the 2014-15 season as SNU finished seventh in the conference and reached the quarterfinals of the tournament.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Reggie Anthony: G; 6' 1"; Sophomore

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

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

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

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

Players Mentioned

#3 Reggie Anthony
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: G

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

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

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

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