Postgame Interview with Coach Morgan



RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Harding did not make every 3-pointer it shot Monday against Arkansas Tech. It just seemed like it.

The Bisons connected on 19 3-pointers, including 13 in the first half and defeated the Wonder Boys 102-83 in Great American Conference action at Tucker Coliseum. It was the most 3-pointers ever made by Harding in a road game.

The victory was Harding's fourth win in five GAC road games. The Bisons improved to 8-6 overall and 7-2 in conference and remained locked in a three-way tie for first with East Central and Ouachita.

Blake McNair led Harding with 25 points. He made 8-of-10 shot overall, including 7-of-8 from 3-point range. Jacob Gibson scored 23 points and shot 7-of-10 from 3-point range. It was the first time Harding ever had two players make seven or more 3-pointers in the same game.

Stefan Andelkovic made three 3-pointers and tied a season-high with 22 points. Harding had three players with more than 20 points for the first time this season.

Harding trailed 44-35 with 5:20 left in the first half, but went on a 16-0 run over the next four minutes to take the lead for good. The Bisons made four 3-pointers during the run, including three from Gibson. The last one came with 1:32 left in the half and gave Harding a 51-44 lead.

Arkansas Tech pulled within one point twice in the second half, the second time coming with 16:56 left. Harding answered with – what else? – back-to-back 3-pointers from Will Francis and Gibson, and the Bisons led by at least five points the rest of the way.

TEAM STATS

Harding won for the second time in the last nine meetings in Russellville. Arkansas Tech lost its fourth straight and fell to 9-6 overall and 4-5 in the GAC.

Harding shot 56.7 percent from the field, its best shooting effort of the season and the fifth time the Bisons have shot better than 50 percent.

Harding shot 61.3 percent from 3-point range, the fifth-best 3-point effort in program history.

The Bisons had 25 assists in a game for the first time since dishing out 28 against Ouachita on Feb. 28 of last season.

Arkansas Tech shot 51.6 percent, tied for the best shooting effort by a Harding opponent this season.

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Blake McNair's 7-of-8 (87.5 percent) 3-point shooting was the second-best percentage ever by a Bison. Aaron Farley was 7-of-7 against Arkansas Tech in 2003.

McNair's 25 points tied a career high. He also scored 25 against Henderson State on March 9, 2014. It was the first time in his career he made seven 3-pointers in a game.

Gibson also had a career-high seven assists.

Francis had six points, six rebounds and six assists.

Arkansas Tech had five players with 10 or more points, led by Marquis Yates and Andrew Guillory with 15 points each.

UP NEXT

Harding goes on the road again Thursday to meet Southern Arkansas in Magnolia. Tipoff at the W.T. Watson Athletic Center is at 7:30 p.m.