Basketball Bisons and Southwestern Oklahoma Square Off Saturday

Harding Game Notes

Harding (11-9, 9-5) vs. Southwestern Okla. (11-9, 5-8)
Feb. 7, 2015 • Pioneer Event Center • Weatherford, Okla. • 2 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: 375-246 (21st season)
   Career: 392-256 (22nd season)
   vs. Southwestern Okla.: 8-5
Bob Battisti, Southwestern Okla.
   at SWOSU: 28-19 (2nd season)
   Career: 415-297 (24th season)

THE SERIES
Series Record: HU leads 8-6
in Weatherford: SWOSU leads 5-2
First Meeting: SWOSU 82-79 (11/16/1968)
Last Meeting: HU 64-52 (11/22/2014)
Current Streak: HU, 3 games

• Harding concludes a two-game Oklahoma road trip Saturday with a 2 p.m. tipoff against Southwestern Oklahoma at the Pioneer Event Center.

• Harding enters the game with an 11-9 overall record and 9-5 GAC mark. The Bisons have won six of their last seven games and are in fourth place in the GAC standings. Harding is one-half game behind East Central for third place.

• Harding is coming off a 66-65 loss to Northwestern Oklahoma on Thursday in Alva. Blake McNair led Harding with 17 points, and Andraz Kavas had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Harding did not have a field goal in the game's final 7:17.

• Southwestern Oklahoma is coming off a 69-65 home loss to Arkansas Tech on Thursday. Martell Collins led the Bulldogs with 21 points, but Southwestern shot only 38 percent and made just 11-of-21 free throws. Tech made only 17 field goals but 13 of them were 3-pointers.

• Both Harding and Southwestern Oklahoma are coming off losses in games that they led most of the way. Harding led for 32:54 in its game with Northwestern Oklahoma, and Southwestern Oklahoma led for 29:06 in its loss to Arkansas Tech.

Harding Team Notes:
•   Harding leads the GAC and ranks ninth in NCAA II with 10.5 3-pointers made per game. The Bisons have made 10 or more 3-pointers 14 times, including six of their last seven games. Harding is 8-6 in games with 10 or more 3-pointers. 40 percent of Harding's field goals are 3-pointers, compared to 27 percent in NCAA II and 31 percent among GAC teams.

•   Over the last four games, Harding has held its opponents to only 21-of-83 (25.3 percent) from 3-point range. Southwestern shot only 2-of-19 from 3-point range in the first meeting.

•   Harding junior Andraz Kavas ranks second in the GAC and 30th in NCAA II with 19.7 points per game. Kavas has scored in double figures in 13 consecutive games and has five double-doubles.

•   Sophomore Will Francis ranks third in the GAC with a 2.00 assist-to-turnover ratio. In the last eight games, Francis has 32 assists against only nine turnovers (3.56 A/TO). Only once this season has Francis had more turnovers than assists in a game.

Series Notes:
•   Harding and Southwestern Oklahoma are meeting for the 15th time with the Bisons leading the series 8-6. Harding has won only twice in seven games in Weatherford (67-66 in 1999 and 89-65 in 2014).

•   Harding won the first meeting between the teams this season 64-52 in Searcy on Nov. 22. Kavas had 17 points to lead the Bisons, who made a season-low six 3-pointers in the game.

   Trent Washington led Southwestern with 15 points and made the Bulldogs only two 3-pointers. Southwestern shot only 28 percent in the second half.

•   Series Individual Records, Harding vs. Southwestern Oklahoma:
   Points - 36, Hayden Johnson (2/8/2014)
   Rebounds - 17, Lavern Floyd (2/26/2000)
   Assists - 9, Weston Jameson (1/2/2014)

Opponent Notes:
•   Southwestern Oklahoma is 11-9 overall and 5-8 in GAC games. The Bulldogs are 5-4 at home but only 1-4 in GAC home games. Southwestern has lost three of its last four, but the victory was a 78-66 win over East Central in Weatherford on Jan. 31.

•   Southwestern Oklahoma leads the GAC and ranks fourth in NCAA II with only 9.8 turnovers per game. The Bulldogs have had 10 or fewer turnovers in a game 14 times, including a seven-turnover game in the first meeting with the Bisons.

•   Southwestern leads the GAC in scoring defense, allowing only 66.5 points per game, but ranks last in the GAC in scoring offense, averaging only 67.3 points.

•   Martell Collins, a 6-foot-5 junior from Milwaukee, leads the GAC and ranks 22nd in NCAA II with 9.5 rebounds per game. Collins also leads the GAC with 6.95 defensive rebounds per game.

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Players Mentioned

#14 Weston Jameson: G; 6' 0"; Senior

#21 Hayden Johnson: F; 6' 6"; Senior

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

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

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

Players Mentioned

#14 Weston Jameson
: 6' 0"; Senior
: G

#21 Hayden Johnson
: 6' 6"; Senior
: F

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

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

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

Harding University Athletics

Schedule

Events

Basketball Bisons and Southwestern Oklahoma Square Off Saturday

Players Mentioned

#14 Weston Jameson

#21 Hayden Johnson

#21 Will Francis

#44 Andraz Kavas

#23 Blake McNair

Players Mentioned

#14 Weston Jameson

#21 Hayden Johnson

#21 Will Francis

#44 Andraz Kavas

#23 Blake McNair