Setting the Stage- After seeing a 16-point lead slip away in an 82-78 defeat at Arkansas Tech on Thursday, the Bulldogs need to regroup on one day's rest before facing GAC-leader Harding on Saturday
- SWOSU is looking for the season-sweep of Harding after defeating the Bisons 81-76 earlier this season at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center
- The Bulldogs are 3-6 against Harding as Great American Conference foes, but they are winless in four trips to Rhodes - Reaves Field House in Searcy
- Harding is 5-2 on their home floor this season, while the Bulldogs are sporting a road record of 4-2 that includes a 3-2 mark in conference road games this season
- SWOSU has dropped two of their last three road games, falling at SNU and Arkansas Tech after beginning the year 4-0 away from home
- In four prior conference games at Harding, SWOSU has been defeated by an average of 12.8 points per game, with only one game (2012) being decided by fewr than 12 points
- Harding and Ouachita have separated themselves atop the GAC standings at 10-2, two games ahead of East Central in third and three games ahead of SWOSU who is tied with Southern Arkansas and Southern Nazarene for fourth at 7-5
The OpponentHarding (11-6, 10-2 GAC)- Second-highest scoring team in the GAC, averaging 80.5 points per game while leading the league with a scoring defense of 71.8 points per game and a scoring margin of +8.7
- Winners of four straight games -- two at home, two on the road -- to maintain a share of the top spot in the GAC standings at 10-2
- Lead the league in field goal percentage (47.2%), ranked second in free throw percentage (72.0%) and ranked fifth in three-point percentage (38.8%)
- Efficient offense leads the GAC with 290 assists (17.1/game) and the Bisons have an assist:turnover ratio of 1.4:1 that leads the conference
- Harding averages 1,516 fans per game at Rhodes - Reaves Field House, giving them the top attendance of all the GAC schools this season
- Four players are avearging better than 11 points per game for the Bisons, who are led by Jacob Gibson (14.2 ppg), Blake McNair (13.6), Will Francis (13.1) and Stefan Andelkovic (11.2)
- McNair had 22 points in the earlier meeting with SWOSU and he leads the GAC in free throw percentage (90.7%) and three-point percentage (52.8%)
The CoachesSWOSU: Bob Battisti (44-30, 3rd season; 453-326 career, 27th season)- In his third season as the head coach of the Bulldogs, having led SWOSU to back-to-back winning seasons in his first two years at the helm
- Has coached three players at SWOSU that earned All-GAC distinction, including one GAC Player of the Year and one GAC Defensive Player of the Year
- Previously 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
- In 26 years as a head coach, Battisti has a career record of 453-326 (.581) and he is 1-4 against Harding as the head coach at SWOSU
Harding: Jeff Morgan (389-267, 23rd season)- Now in his 23rd season as the head coach at Harding, where he has led the Bisons to 18 postseason tournament apperances, including five NCAA Division II tournament appearances
- Has coached in more games and has more wins than any other coach in Harding men's basketball history and he has led the Bisons to five 20-win seasons
- Previously spent one season as the head coach at West Texas A&M, where he played for two years and earned Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors
The SeriesGAC History Only Date Location Score *1/14/2012 Weatherford, Okla. W 85-67
*2/11/2012 Searcy, Ark. L 76-79
*1/3/2013 Searcy, Ark. L 54-76
*2/9/2013 Weatherford, Okla. W 71-60
*1/2/2014 Weatherford, Okla. L 65-89
*2/8/2014 Searcy, Ark. L 71-89
*11/22/2014 Searcy, Ark. L 52-64
*2/7/2015 Weatherford, Okla. L 52-79
*11/21/2015 Weatherford, Okla. W 81-76
*GAC Conference Meeting Last Time Out- SWOSU saw a 16-point lead disappear in the second half as they were defeated 82-78 by Arkansas Tech on Thursday afternoon
- The Bulldogs held a 45-31 lead at the break and extended the lead to 16 on three occassions in the second half before ATU's 70% shooting after the break brought them back in the game
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Martell Collins led SWOSU with 22 points while
Collin Jennings added 17 and
Juwan Newmen scored 16
SWOSU Notes-
Martell Collins extended his 20-point scoring streak to five straight games, but he shot just 8-for-21 from the field against ATU, his works shooting percentage of that streak
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Juwan Newmen continued his hot streak as well, hitting 8-of-11 shots for 16 points against Arkansas Tech, but his four rebounds is his fewest in five games
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Markeise Champion was held to a season-low three points on Thursday, hitting just one field goal and not making a three-pointer for the first time all season
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Emeche Wells tied a season-high with four steals against Arkansas Tech and he scored eight points, his most since returning from an ankle injury four games ago
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Collin Jennings had a breakthrough performance on Thursday, scoring 17 points on 5-for-6 shooting from three-point range against the Wonder Boys
- SWOSU has allowed exactly 82 points in their last three road games, matching the most points given up by the Bulldogs in a game this season
- The Bulldogs also set season-lows for free throws made (1) and attempted (6) on the road at Arkansas Tech
- SWOSU was outrebounded by Arkansas Tech 36-to-25, their second-worst rebounding margin of the season (-12, Panhandle State)
Looking Ahead- SWOSU returns home for a pair of games next weekend when they host Arkansas-Monticello on Thursday and Southern Arkansas next Saturday
- Following those games, the Bulldogs close out the season with five of their final seven games away from home
