Basketball Bisons Host GAC Leader Ouachita Baptist in Regular-Season Finale

Harding Game Notes

Harding (12-13, 10-9) vs. Ouachita Baptist (20-4, 16-3)
Feb. 28, 2015 • Rhodes Field House • Searcy, Ark. • 7:30 p.m.

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THE COACHES
Jeff Morgan, Harding
   at Harding: 376-250 (21st season)
   Career: 393-260 (22nd season)
   vs. Ouachita Baptist: 31-15
Dennis Nutt, Ouachita Baptist
   at OBU: 62-45 (4th season)
   Career: 134-141 (10th season)

THE SERIES
Series Record: OBU leads 70-54
in Searcy: HU leads 32-27
First Meeting: OBU 77-59 (12/5/1957)
Last Meeting: OBU 81-75 (1/3/2015)
Current Streak: OBU, 1 game

Harding will play its final regular-season game of the season Saturday in Searcy against Great-American Conference regular-season champion Ouachita Baptist. There will be a post-game ceremony honoring Harding senior Mak Boskailo.

Harding enters the game with a 12-13 overall record and 10-9 GAC mark. The Bisons are part of a three-way tie for fourth place in the GAC standings and have clinched one of eight spots in the GAC Tournament in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Harding is coming off a 77-76 loss to Arkansas Tech on Thursday in Russellville. Tech's Clarence Willard hit a jumper at the buzzer to win it. Andraz Kavas led Harding with 20 points, but Harding made only four shots in the second half.

Ouachita Baptist defeated Henderson State 80-78 on Thursday at Vining Arena. The Tigers shot 52 percent and made 16-of-19 free throws. Colt Fason led Ouachita Baptist with 18 points and Tirrell Brown had 15.

Andraz Kavas enters the game averaging 20.0 points. The last Harding player to average 20.0 points or more in a season was Matt Hall, who averaged 20.7 points in 2007-08.

Harding Team Notes:
In Harding's 10 GAC victories, the Bisons have an average margin of victory of 14.2 points. The nine losses have come by an average of 3.3 points and none by more than six points (Courtesy: Eric Moyer, GAC).

Harding leads the GAC and in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.6 assists per turnover. The Bisons have had more assists than turnovers in 21 games this season. Harding has had fewer than 10 turnovers in each of its last six games.

Harding makes 10.7 3-pointers per game to lead the GAC. The Bisons have made 10 or more 3-pointers 18 times and 15 or more 3-pointers three times.

Blake McNair has made 61 3-pointers this season and needs just three more to move into Harding's single-season top 10. He currently ranks fourth in the GAC in 3-point field-goal percentage at 43.9 percent.

Andraz Kavas leads the GAC in scoring with 20.0 points per game. He has scored 10 or more points in 18 straight games. He has 15 20-point games this season and two 30-point games. Kavas scored 20 at Arkansas Tech and has 501 points this season, the 33rd time in program history that a Harding player has scored more than 500 points.

Harding sophomore Will Francis has made 27-of-50 3-pointers (54.0 percent) over the last seven games. He is eighth in the GAC in 3-point field-goal percentage (42.2 percent).

Series Notes:
Harding and Ouachita Baptist are meeting for the 125th time with the Tigers leading the series 70-54. Harding leads the series 32-27 in Searcy and has won eight of the last nine at Rhodes Field House.

Andraz Kavas led Harding with 19 points and John Hudson had 18 in the Bisons' 81-75 loss to Ouachita Baptist on Jan. 3. Harding shot 62 percent in the second half but could not erase a 10-point halftime deficit. Hudson made six of Harding's 10 3-pointers in the game.

Series Individual Records, Harding vs. Ouachita Baptist:
   Points - 36, Butch Gardner (2/19/1976)
   Rebounds - 13, Matt Hall (2/10/2007)
   Assists - 10, Aaron Farley (2/19/2001)

Opponent Notes:
Ouachita Baptist is 20-4 overall and 16-3 in GAC games. The Tigers are 6-3 on the road, including 5-3 in GAC road games. Ouachita Baptist has won a GAC-best nine-game winning streak and has won all 13 games at home this season.

Ouachita Baptist is the highest-scoring team in the GAC. The Tigers average 78.7 points per game and have scored 80 or more 12 times, including four of the last five games.

Tirrell Brown, a junior transfer from the University of Central Arkansas, leads the GAC in field-goal percentage at 63.8 percent. Senior Micah Delph, a native of Conway, Arkansas, is the top free-throw shooter in the GAC at 90.3 percent.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

#10 Mak Boskailo: F; 6' 9"; Senior

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

#10 Mak Boskailo
: 6' 9"; Senior
: F

Harding University Athletics

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Events

Basketball Bisons Host GAC Leader Ouachita Baptist in Regular-Season Finale

Players Mentioned

#21 Will Francis

#22 John Hudson

#44 Andraz Kavas

#23 Blake McNair

#10 Mak Boskailo

Players Mentioned

#21 Will Francis

#22 John Hudson

#44 Andraz Kavas

#23 Blake McNair

#10 Mak Boskailo