Harding Opens GAC Tournament Title Defense Friday Against Southern Arkansas

Harding Game Notes

(6) Harding (13-13, 11-9) vs. (3) Southern Ark. (15-11, 11-9)
Mar. 6, 2015 • Bruin Field House • Bartlesville, Okla. • Noon

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Radio: KVHU 95.3-FM
Internet:
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THE COACHES
Jeff Morgan, Harding
   at Harding: 377-250 (21st season)
   Career: 394-260 (22nd season)
   vs. Southern Ark.: 27-14
Andy Sharpe, Southern Ark.
   at SAU: 37-44 (3rd season)
   Career: 205-114 (10th season)

THE SERIES
Series Record: SAU leads 70-49
Neutral site: SAU 3-2
First Meeting: SAU 64-61 (11/23/1957)
Last Meeting: HU 75-71 (1/31/2015)
Current Streak: HU, 1 game

Harding's defense of its Great American Conference Tournament title begins Friday at noon when the No. 6 seed Bisons take on No. 3 seed Southern Arkansas. Harding was also the No. 6 seed in the inaugural 2012 GAC Tournament.

Harding is 4-2 in its previous three GAC Tournaments, including victories over East Central, Arkansas Tech and Henderson State en route to the tournament championship.

Harding defeated Southern Arkansas 62-43 in the quarterfinals of the 2013 tournament in the only meeting between the teams in Bartlesville.

Harding and Southern Arkansas split their two previous meetings this season. The Muleriders won 64-62 in Magnolia on Dec. 4, and the Bisons won 75-71 on Jan. 31.

In GAC games in 2014-15, Harding led the conference in scoring offense (78.1), scoring margin (+6.6), field goal pct. (48.5), 3-point field goal pct. (41.6), assists (17.1), and 3-point field goals per game (11.4).

Harding's Andraz Kavas earned 1st Team All-GAC honors, and Blake McNair was honorable mention All-GAC.

Harding Team Notes:
In Harding's 11 GAC victories, the Bisons had an average margin of victory of 14.7 points. The nine losses came 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 22 games this season. Harding had a season-high 29 assists in its win over Ouachita Baptist in the final regular-season game.

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.

Andraz Kavas leads the GAC in scoring with 20.5 points per game. He has scored 10 or more points in 19 straight games. He has 16 20-point games this season and three 30-point games. Kavas scored 32 vs. Ouachita Baptist and has 533 points this season to rank 23rd in an HU single season.

Junior Blake McNair is one of only five Harding players with over 100 career 3-pointers and a 3-point field goal percentage over 40.0 percent.

Harding enters the tournament shooting 40.2 percent from 3-point range. The Bisons have only shot over 40.0 for a season twice (44.5, 1989-90 & 40.6, 2011-12).

Harding averages 17.5 assists, the most since the 1997-98 team set the school record with 19.0 per game.

Series Notes:
Harding and Southern Arkansas are meeting for the 120th time with the Muleriders leading the series 70-49. The teams have played five neutral site games with Harding winning two of those, including the only matchup in the GAC Tournament (62-43 in 2013).

Andraz Kavas (14.5), Blake McNair (13.0), and Will Francis (10.0) each averaged double figures in Harding's two games against Southern Arkansas. The Bisons made 23 3-pointers to only eight by the Muleriders. Harding shot 72 percent (18-of-25) at the free-throw line to Southern Arkansas' 44 percent (21-of-44).

Series Individual Records, Harding vs. Southern Arkansas:
   Points - 34, Steven Blake (2/14/2011) and Ned Boaz (1/12/1965)
   Rebounds - 16, Zach Roddenberry (1/17/2013)
   Assists - 12, Jerry Morgan (2/7/1977)

Opponent Notes:
Southern Arkansas is 15-11 overall and 11-9 in the GAC. The Muleriders have three wins in their last 10 games after reeling off a 12-game winning streak.

Southern Arkansas boasts one of the top defenses in the GAC. The Muleriders are second in the conference in both field-goal percentage defense (41.0) and 3-point field-goal percentage defense (33.8).

Southern Arkansas hits 60 percent from the free-throw line and ranks 293rd of 294 teams in NCAA Division II.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

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

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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Harding Opens GAC Tournament Title Defense Friday Against Southern Arkansas

Players Mentioned

#21 Will Francis

#44 Andraz Kavas

#23 Blake McNair

Players Mentioned

#21 Will Francis

#44 Andraz Kavas

#23 Blake McNair