Harding (15-7, 13-5 GAC) vs. Southern Arkansas (15-7, 11-7 GAC)
Feb. 18, 2016 • Rhodes-Reaves Field House • Searcy, Ark. • 5:30 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Radio: KVHU 95.3
Internet:
Audio: www.HardingSports.com
Video: www.HardingSports.com
Live Stats: www.HardingSports.com
THE COACHES
Tim Kirby, Harding
at Harding: 208-104 (11th season)
Career: same
vs. SAU: 18-3
Julio Pacheco, Southern Arkansas
at SAU: 15-7 (1st season)
Career: same
THE SERIES
Series Record: Harding leads 41-20
in Searcy: Harding leads 23-7
First Meeting: SAU 68-57 (12/9/84)
Last Meeting: HU 83-74 (1/25/16)
Current Streak: HU, 13 games
The Harding women's basketball team is set to take on Southern Arkansas in Great American Conference action on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House. The Lady Bisons will be wearing pink jerseys to bring awareness to breast cancer.
Harding is 7-2 at home this season and 6-2 in GAC games.
Harding heads into the game with a 15-7 overall record and a 13-5 GAC record. The Lady Bisons have sole possession of second place in the GAC standings. Arkansas Tech sits in first with a 17-1 GAC record. The top eight teams in the standings advance to the GAC Tournament held March 3-6, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
Harding is coming off an 82-79 double-overtime win over No. 15 Arkansas Tech on Monday in GAC action. The Lady Bisons were led by Sydney Layrock who had 24 points and 10 rebounds. A'ndrea Haney made 12-of-15 free throws and finished with 18 points. Arkansas Tech committed 33 fouls in the game and Harding went 25-of-39 from the free throw line. The Lady Bisons didn't make a field goal in the second overtime but made 9-of-12 free throws to get the win.
Southern Arkansas heads into the contest with a 15-7 overall record and an 11-7 GAC record. The Lady Muleriders are in fourth place in the GAC standings and have already sealed a spot in the GAC Tournament.
Harding Team Notes:
Harding is led on the season by Sydney Layrock who averages 18.7 points to rank fourth in the GAC. Layrock also averages 6.4 rebounds.
The Lady Bisons rank first in the GAC in 3-point field goals made. Harding averages 8.4 made 3-pointers per game. Lundon Williams averages 2.0 per game to rank ninth in the GAC.
Harding ranks second in the GAC in scoring margin averaging 6.9 more points than its opponent. It ranks third in the GAC scoring field goal percent defense (38.3 percent) and 3-point field goal percentage (33.9 percent).
Junior guard A'ndrea Haney ranks 10th in the GAC in free throw percentage, shooting 77.8 percent. Haney has made 119 free throws this season which is most in the GAC and ranks 15th in NCAA Division II.
Harding ranks first in the GAC in steals, averaging 8.7 per game. A'ndrea Haney has recorded 68 steals, the most in the GAC, and averages 3.1 per game to rank first in the GAC and 10th in NCAA Division II. Lundon Williams has had 44 steals and ranks third in the GAC averaging 2.0 per game.
Lundon Williams ranks fourth in the GAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.4). In 22 games, she has recorded 80 assists to 33 turnovers.
Harding ranks sixth in NCAA Division II in fewest turnovers (290).
Kaylee Wiedower ranks eighth in the GAC in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 37.5 percent.
A'ndrea Haney needs eight more steals to reach 200 in her career. Bridget Benson is the only Harding player to reach 200 career steals. Haney currently ranks third all-time at Harding with 192 and needs six to move into second place and pass Emily Prysock.
Haney has recorded 68 steals this season, 64 last season and 60 her freshman year. Her 68 steals this season ranks third all-time at Harding for the most in a season. Bailey St. Clair set the record in the 2009-10 season when she had 90. St. Clair also has the second most when she recorded 83 in the 2010-11 season.
A'ndrea Haney also needs nine more points to move into 19th all-time at Harding. She also needs seven more free throws to move into sixth all-time at Harding (304) and pass Kristen Celsor.
Sydney Layrock needs 22 points to reach 700 in her career. She currently has 648 points.
Series Notes:
Harding and Southern Arkansas are meeting for the 62nd time. When the two teams met earlier this season in Magnolia, Arkansas, and Harding won 83-74. The Lady Bisons made 11 3-pointers in the game, led by Kaylee Wiedower who made a career-high seven. Sydney Layrock scored 18 points and Falan Miller had 15 points, making three 3-pointers. Tierra Tucker led Southern Arkansas with 22 points, making 8-of-14 from the field.
Series Individual Records, Harding vs. Southern Arkansas:
Points – 34, Sierra Rollins (1/13/2011)
Rebounds – 18, Nancee Wilson (1/29/1990)
Assists – 12, Jama Fullerton (1/31/1994)
Opponent Notes:
Southern Arkansas is coming off a 65-47 win at home against Arkansas-Monticello on Monday. The Lady Muleriders were led by Shana Holmes who had 16 points and seven rebounds. Southern Arkansas shot 42.9 percent in the game and made nine 3-pointers, led by Holmes who had four.
The Lady Muleriders are led on the season by Rosa Bryant who averages 18.9 points to rank third in the GAC. She also ranks first in the GAC in rebounds, averaging 11.5 per game.
Shana Holmes ranks second in the GAC in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 42.9 percent.
Southern Arkansas ranks in the top three in the GAC in:
Scoring Offense: 74.4 (3rd)
Field Goal Percentage: 44.7 (2nd)
Rebounding Margin: +2.0 (3rd)
Assists: 15.6 (2nd)
Steals: 8.5 (3rd)
Offensive Rebounds: 12.6 (t-3rd)
