No. 20 Harding (16-3, 12-1 GAC) at Northwestern Oklahoma (8-11, 7-6 GAC)
Location: Alva, Okla.
When: Thursday
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Coaches:
Harding – Tim Kirby (186-93, 10th season)
Northwestern Oklahoma – Eric Bozeman (21-48, 3rd season)
Live Stats/Live Audio/Live Video– Available on a link at HardingSports.com
HARDING
- Harding (16-3, 12-1 GAC) will be looking for its fifth conference road win of the season when it travels to Northwestern Oklahoma on Thursday. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m., in Alva, Oklahoma.
- The Lady Bisons are making their longest road trip of the season. Harding will travel 1,018 miles this weekend. After Thursday, the Lady Bisons will head over to Southwestern Oklahoma located in Weatherford on Saturday for a 12 p.m., tip-off. Harding is 1-0 this season in Oklahoma. The Lady Bisons defeated Southeastern Oklahoma 76-67 in Durant earlier this season. Harding is 6-7 in the state of Oklahoma since joining the GAC in 2011.
- The Lady Bisons moved to No. 20 in latest poll released on Tuesday. It marks 25 straight weeks Harding has been ranked which dates back to last season. The Lady Bisons have also been ranked 8th, 15th, 16th, 20th, 23rd and 25th this season. Harding joins Arkansas Tech (No. 25) as the only GAC schools in the poll.
- Harding sits in first place in the Great American Conference standings. The Lady Bisons have already sealed a spot in the GAC Tournament held in Bartlesville, Oklahoma March 5-8. Arkansas Tech is second in the standings with an 11-2 conference record.
- Harding is coming off a 72-61 GAC win over Southern Arkansas last Saturday in Searcy. Sophomore guard A'ndrea Haney and senior guard Montana Lewis both led the Lady Bisons with 18 points. Lewis captured her third double-double of the season with 11 rebounds.
- The Lady Bisons are led on the season by senior forward Arielle Saunders who ranks sixth in the GAC in scoring, averaging 16.5 points and ranks second in the GAC in rebounds, averaging 11.3 per game. She also ranks fifth in the GAC in field goal percentage, shooting 55.1 percent from the field.
- Saunders needs 30 more rebounds to become only the third player in Harding history to have 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Angie Dugger (1993-97) and Nancee Wilson (1989-93) are the only players to accomplish the feat. Saunders currently has 970 career rebounds and is in third place all time at Harding. She needs 152 rebounds to move into second place. Saunders, who is the all-time blocks leader at Harding, needs seven blocks to get to 200 in her career.
- Montana Lewis also averages in double figures for Harding. She is second on the team in points, averaging 11.8 per game and second on the team in rebounds averaging 6.1 per game. Lewis needs 22 points to become the 15th player in Harding history to score 1,000 career points. She also needs seven steals to get to 100 in her career.
- Sophomore guard A'ndrea Haney has been doing the dirty work for Harding this season. Haney is second in the GAC in assists averaging 3.8 per game and is tied for third in the GAC in steals averaging 2.1 per game. She needs one assist to get to 200 in her career and one steal to get to 100.
- Harding has hit 139 3-pointers this season which ranks third in the GAC. The Lady Bisons have hit at least nine 3-pointers in the last three games. Harding has made 10 or more in a game six times this season. Freshman guard Lundon Williams leads the Lady Bisons with 31. Montana Lewis is close behind with 27. Williams is shooting 50.8 percent from behind the 3-point line to lead the GAC. Lewis ranks third in the GAC, shooting 43.5 percent.
NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA
- Northwestern Oklahoma heads into the game with an 8-11 overall record and 7-6 GAC record.
- The Rangers have won their last two games and have won four out of their last five games. Northwestern Oklahoma beat Southeastern Oklahoma 69-67 and Southern Nazarene 67-57 last week in GAC action.
- The Rangers are 5-3 at home this season and are 4-2 in GAC games.
- Northwestern Oklahoma is led on the season by freshman guard Kalea King who averages 10.6 points. Sophomore guard Jonae Isaac leads the Rangers in conference games, averaging 11.2 points.
- Sophomore center Kamera Bozeman ranks third in the GAC in field goal percentage shooting 56.6 percent from the field.
- Northwestern Oklahoma ranks third in the conference in steals averaging 9.0 per game. Three players rank in the top 10 in the GAC. Jonae Jones averages 1.7 per game to rank sixth and Kalea King and Renee Contreras both average 1.6 per game and rank tied for eighth.
SERIES
- Harding leads the series 5-0.
- The Lady Bisons are 2-0 in Alva.
- When the two teams met earlier this season in Searcy, Harding won 73-57. Montana Lewis captured a double-double in the game with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore forward Correy Moyer had 14 points, hitting three 3-pointers. Jonae Isaac led Northwestern Oklahoma with 15 points.
