Harding (22-6, 16-4 GAC) vs. Arkansas Tech (23-5, 16-4 GAC)
Location: Bartlesville, Okla.
When: Sunday
Time: 1 p.m.
Coaches:
Harding – Tim Kirby (192-96, 10th season)
Arkansas Tech – Dave Wilbers (168-42, 7th season)
Live Stats/Live Audio/Live Video– Available on a link at HardingSports.com

HARDING                                    

- Harding, who is the No. 1 seed, will play No. 2 seed Arkansas Tech in the GAC Championship on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both teams shared the conference regular season championship after going 16-4 in GAC play.

- It will be the first time Harding has ever played a No. 2 seed in a conference tournament in the NCAA era.

- Harding holds a 7-3 record in the GAC Tournament. It is the second straight year the Lady Bisons have made the conference tournament championship. Harding has reached the finals two times and has made at least the semifinals since the conference was formed in 2011. Southwestern Oklahoma has been the Lady Bisons kryptonite in the GAC Tournament. The Bulldogs have knocked Harding out of the tournament each of the last three years. 

- Harding won its 22nd game of the season on Saturday when it defeated Arkansas-Monticello 59-46 in the semifinal game of the GAC Tournament. It is the second straight year the Lady Bisons have won 20 games. It is the fifth time in Harding's 31 years they have won at least 22 games in a season.

- In the win over the Cotton Blossoms, Harding was led by senior guard Montana Lewis who had 17 points and seven rebounds. Lewis also had a hard defensive assignment in guarding first team all-conference player Jordan Goforth of the Cotton Blossoms. Goforth came into the game averaging 18 points per game and Lewis held her to only one made field goal. Freshman forward Sydney Layrock captured her second double-double of the season for the Lady Bisons with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Layrock made 8-of-12 free throws and was 4-of-8 from the field. It was the second straight game, the Lady Bisons have held their opponents to scoring under 50 points. Harding held Southern Arkansas to 48 points in the first round of the GAC Tournament on Thursday.

- Three Harding women's basketball players were named All-Great American Conference on Wednesday. Senior forward Arielle Saunders was named 1st Team All-GAC, senior forward Montana Lewis was 2nd Team, and sophomore guard A'ndrea Haney was honorable mention All-GAC. Saunders was also named GAC Player of the Year. The Lady Bisons have had at least two All-GAC honorees in each of their four seasons in the conference and had four last season.

- The Lady Bisons were ranked fifth in the first NCAA Division II Central Region Rankings released on Wednesday. All of Harding's 26 games are considered regional games according to the NCAA. Eight teams will make the NCAA Central Region Tournament held March 13-16. Three automatic bids will be awarded to the three conference tournament champions (Great American, MIAA and Northern Sun) and five teams will receive at-large berths based on the rankings. Wednesday's rankings is the final one before the selection show which will be announced at 9 p.m. Central Time, Sunday, March 8 via web stream on NCAA.com.

- 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 10.9 per game. She also ranks sixth in the GAC in field goal percentage, shooting 51.7 percent from the field.

- Saunders has 1,326 career points and needs 14 more points to move into eighth all-time at Harding. She is only the third player in Harding history to get to 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Saunders also needs four assists to reach 300 in her career. She currently ranks eighth all-time at Harding in assists and needs 12 more to move into seventh.

- Saunders has 18 double-doubles as she recently past Heather Lawrence (1999-03) for the most in a season in the NCAA era. Lawrence had 15 in the 2002-03 season. Saunders has recorded 43 double-doubles in her career which is 18 more than second place Lawrence who had 25 in her career. Three times this season Saunders has had 10 or more points, 10 or more rebounds and five or more assists.

- Montana Lewis also averages in double figures for Harding. She is second on the team in points, averaging 11.0 per game and second on the team in rebounds averaging 5.9 per game. Lewis needs 16 more points to move into 12th place all-time at Harding. She currently has 1,060 points.

- Sophomore guard A'ndrea Haney is third in the GAC in assists averaging 3.5 per game and is fourth in the GAC in steals averaging 2.2 per game. Haney picked up her 60th career start on Saturday.

- Senior guard Tabitha Haney needs two more 3-pointers to reach 150 in her career. She would be fifth player in Harding history to accomplish the feat. Haney currently sits in fifth place all-time at Harding with 148. She needs nine more to move into fifth place and pass Kinsey Tucker (2004-08) who had 156 in her career.

- The Lady Bisons have hit 203 3-pointers this season which ranks third in the GAC and ranks fifth all-time at Harding in a season. It is only the fifth time Harding has made 200 3-pointers in a season. The Lady Bisons set the mark last season making 249. Harding needs 14 more to move into second place in 3-point field goals made in a season.

- Freshman guard Lundon Williams leads the Lady Bisons with 43 3-pointers. Montana Lewis has 32 and Correy Moyer has made 31. The Lady Bisons also rank third in the GAC in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 35.1 percent. Williams is shooting 45.7 percent from behind the 3-point line to rank first in the GAC. Corry Moyer ranks ninth in the GAC, shooting 36.5 percent and Lewis ranks tenth shooting 36.0 percent.

ARKANSAS TECH

- Arkansas Tech heads into the game with a 23-5 record. The Golden Suns defeated Henderson State 96-84 in the first round of the tournament then defeated Southeastern Oklahoma 68-62 to advance to their second GAC Tournament finals. Arkansas Tech won the GAC Tournament in 2013 when it defeated Southwestern Oklahoma 70-66 in overtime.

- The Golden Suns have won their last four games and have won eight of their last 10.  

- Against Southeastern Oklahoma on Saturday, Arkansas Tech was led by Adams who had 22 points, hitting 9-of-18 from the field.

- Fatima Adams and Anissa Pounds were both named All-GAC. Adams was named to the first team and Pounds was named to the second team.

- Arkansas Tech is led on the season by Adams who averages 21.7 points per game which leads the GAC. She also ranks fourth in the GAC in field goal percentage, shooting 54.5 percent from the field. Adams leads the team in rebounds and ranks third in the GAC, averaging 9.7 per game.

- The Golden Suns leads the GAC in scoring offense, averaging 76.0 points per game. They also lead in field goal percentage, shooting 46.3 percent from the field.

- Katrina Hayden leads the GAC in assists, averaging 4.1 per game. She also ranks seventh in steals, averaging 1.6 per game.

SERIES

- Harding is 1-1 against Arkansas Tech in conference tournaments. The Lady Bisons fell to the Golden Suns in the 2010 Gulf South Conference Tournament 68-45. Harding defeated Arkansas Tech 81-48 last season in the semifinals of the GAC Tournament.

- The two teams split during the regular season. The Lady Bisons won at home 74-61 but fell in Russellville, Arkansas 85-73.   

- Arielle Saunders has scored 50 points against the Golden Suns this season. She scored 28 points in the first meeting and then scored 22 points in the last meeting. She is also averaging 10.0 rebounds per game and shooting 69.2 percent from the field. Lundon Williams is averaging 12.0 points per game against Arkansas Tech this season. Williams has made seven 3-pointers against the Golden Suns.

- Against Harding this season, Anissa Pounds is averaging 20.5 points and has made six 3-pointers. Fatima Adams is averaging 18.0 points and averaging 7.5 rebounds.