Harding (3-5, 0-2 GAC) at SWOSU (5-3, 2-0 GAC)
Thursday, January 2, 2014, 6:00 pm
Weatherford, Okla. (Rankin Williams Fieldhouse)
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Setting the Stage
The calendar has flipped to 2014, meaning conference basketball season is back in full force. The SWOSU men's basketball team, tied atop the Great American Conference with a 2-0 GAC record, will host Harding on Thursday in the first of 18 remaining conference contests. The game will tipoff at 6:00 pm from Rankin Williams Fieldhouse.
The Coaches
Bob Battisti is the 14th head men's basketball coach in SWOSU history and in his first season on the Bulldogs sidelines. He most recently spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Oklahoma Christian University where he helped the program its first postseason basketball title in 30 years. Prior to his stint at OCU, Battisti spent 25 years at Northwestern Oklahoma State, coaching the men's basketball team for 21 seasons before taking over as the school's athletic director for four years.
Jeff Morgan enters his 21st season as the Bisons' head coach in 2013-14. He has a career record of 366-232 and a 349-222 mark at Harding. Morgan's teams have reached the 1996 NAIA National Tournament and qualified for the NCAA Division II National Tournaments in 2003, 2008, 2011 and 2013. He has a record of 352-227 at Harding and he is 5-5 in his career against SWOSU.
Last Time Out
Every member of the Southwestern Oklahoma State University basketball team scored on Monday night as the Bulldogs scored a season-high in a 106-86 victory over Hillsdale Baptist.
Gary Inglett scored a game-high 22 points and
Rod Camphor added a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs.
Kenyan Borders added 11 points while
Trent Washington and
Jordan Franz each chipped in nine points for SWOSU, who got a season-high 38 points from eight players off the bench.
The Bulldogs hit 57.8% (37-of-64) of their field goal attempts while holding Hillsdale Baptist to 28-of-63 (44.4%) shooting from the field. SWOSU also finished with a 39-32 rebounding edge over the Saints.
Last Time vs. Harding (February 9, 2013)
The Southwestern Oklahoma State University men's basketball team built an 18-point halftime lead and held off a furious run from #18 Harding on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 9) as they knocked off the Bisons 71-60.
SWOSU held the Bisons at arm's length throughout the second half, holding a double-digit lead until the final five minutes of the game. Harding would mount a late run in the final few minutes, but they could never get closer than six points. Back-to-back three pointers put Harding within six at 66-60 in the game's final minute, but SWOSU hit 5-6 free throws from there to secure the victory and the Bulldogs first win over a ranked opponent this season.
It was a balanced effort from SWOSU that got the job, with four players scoring in double figures and six scoring seven points or more. Davis came off the bench to score 14 points and grab four rebounds in 28 minutes of action while
Dominick Cornelius, who also had a highlight dunk, had 13. Zelalija (13) and
Michael Bradley (11) joined them in the scoring parade while Donahoe had four points and a season-high 11 rebounds.
Checking the Standings
SWOSU currently sits atop the Great American Conference standings following a 2-0 road trip against Arkansas-Monticello and Southern Arkansas. The Bulldogs are tied with Southeastern as the only two teams at 2-0 with East Central close behind at 3-1 and Arkansas-Monticello and Southern Nazarene also close at 2-1. Harding is one of just two teams, along with Ouachita Baptist, that have yet to taste victory in conference play. The Bisons are 0-2 with defeats against Southern Nazarene and East Central.
Big Shot Rod
The 2013-14 edition of SWOSU basketball returned just three players who played more than 10 minutes per game last season, led by
Rod Camphor. Camphor came on late last season and earned a spot on the All-GAC Tournament team after setting a tournament record with 36 points in the quarterfinals against Arkansas-Monticello.
This season, Camphor ranks second on the team and fifth in the conference in scoring, averaging 16.6 points per game. He has scored 20 or more points in three of the last five games for SWOSU, including a season-high 27 points against West Texas A&M on November 29. In the Bulldogs last game, Camphor recorded his first double-double of the season, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in SWOSU's 106-86 win over Hillsdale Baptist.
Scouting the Opponent
Harding was picked to finish second in the Great American Conference prior to the season, but the Bisons are currently 3-5 on the year with an 0-2 conference start. Harding has played a difficult schedule, earning victories over Christian Brothers, Champion Baptist and then-No. 6 Midwestern State and two of their non-conference losses were against nationally-ranked Northeastern State.
The Bisons are led by Hayden Johnson, who is averaging 14.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game and Andras Kavas, who checks in with 11.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest.
Pioneer Cellular Event Center Update
It was announced on December 20 that the first event in the new Pioneer Cellular Event Center (PCEC) on the campus of Southwestern Oklahoma State University will be January 20 when the West Central Basketball Tournament takes place throughout the week on the Weatherford campus.
SWOSU's men's and women's basketball teams will play their opening games in the PCEC on Saturday, January 25, when Northwestern Oklahoma State University comes to Weatherford for a 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. doubleheader.
Quick Hits
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Gary Inglett has recorded three double-doubles this season and he ranks among the top five in the GAC in both scoring (17.5 ppg) and rebounding (8.5 rpg)
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Trent Washington has hit at least one three pointer in each game this season
- Both Inglett and
Rod Camphor have scored in double figures in each game this year
- By connecting on three 3-point attempts against Hillsdale Baptist,
Jordan Franz scored a season-best nine points, the most by a SWOSU reserve this season
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Jalen Dorsey was a perfect 2-for-2 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line against Hillsdale Baptist for a season-high eight points
Looking Ahead
SWOSU will host Arkansas Tech on Saturday at 4:00 pm inside Rankin Williams Fieldhouse.
