Thursday, Dec. 5 - SWOSU vs Harding - 5:30 pm

Saturday, Dec. 7 - SWOSU vs Arkansas Tech - 1:00 pm

Weatherford, Okla. (Pioneer Event Center)

TICKETS | COVERAGE LINKS

The Lady Dawgs will be welcoming two Arkansas foes to the PEC this week, starting with Harding on Thursday and then Arkansas Tech on Saturday.

Harding, who went 26-6 and made it to the second round of the national tournament a year ago, sits at 3-2 early in the season. Their only common opponent with the Lady Dawgs came against UCO where both teams had major success with runaway victories of 28 points or more.

SWOSU will come into the first conference game of the year sitting at 4-1 with their lone loss to #5/11 Lubbock Christian last week. 

Harding enters led by Sage Hawley who has already taken home a national player of the week honor for Division II. She is averaging 20.2 points per game which ranks first in the GAC and 16th in the nation. She adds 8.6 rebounds which is also No. 1 in the GAC.

The three-point line could be the difference in the game. Harding comes in ranked 11^th in the league out of 12 in three-point percentage, at 25%, while SWOSU fourth at 34%. In five games, SWOSU has nearly doubled Harding in three point makes, 32-17, but it will be hard to keep up that trend. The Lady Bisons are holding opponents to 24% from beyond the arc – the lowest in the GAC.

SWOSU will need to be assertive rebounding the basketball, sitting last in multiple rebounding categories while Harding is in the top-4 in offensive, defensive, and margin.

The Lady Dawgs have had Harding's number in the last two matchups – both while the Lady Bisons were nationally ranked. SWOSU won a close one in Weatherford 54-51 while Harding ranked #3/5, then in the GAC semifinals the Dawgs once again upset the #17/23 Lady Bisons 79-72. SWOSU held Hawley, last year's GAC Player of the Year, to under 10 points in both of those games.

Arkansas Tech comes in at 2-2 after a loss vs #13/6 Pittsburg State 75-55. They will travel to Northwestern Oklahoma State to face on Thursday before coming to Weatherford for a 1pm Saturday matchup. The Golden Suns lead the all-time series 24-21 but SWOSU has won six of the last eight games vs Arkansas Tech, splitting the last two years 2-2.

SWOSU will look to capitalize on the turnover margin just like they have in every game this season. Tech sits in 11th in turnover margin at -2.5 per game while the Lady Dawgs are second with a +8.2 margin. The Bulldog defense has forced 20 or more turnovers in four of the five games so far this year.

Arkansas Tech leads the league in team rebounding and is second in blocked shots. Their 48 rebounds per game is the most SWOSU has faced this season and is good enough for fifth most in the nation.

The Lady Dawgs leading scorer is senior Averi Zinn at 14 points a game she adds 4 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game

Hailey Grant adds 12 points per game while hitting 86% from the free throw line which is good enough for fifth in the conference. She comes away with a team high 2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.