Harding Game Notes
SEARCY - The Harding Bisons will look to snap a three-game skid Saturday against Arkansas-Monticello at 4 p.m. at the Steelman Fieldhouse. Harding has dropped the last three meetings against UAM.
COACHES: Harding is coached by Jeff Morgan, who is in his 18th season as a head coach and 17th season as head coach of the Bisons. Morgan has a 298-199 career record and a 281-189 record at Harding.
Mike Newell is in his ninth season as the head coach at Arkansas-Monticello and has a 120-118 record. He has a 296-221 record in his 18th season as a collegiate head coach.
THE BISONS: Harding is currently 1-3 and in sixth place in the GSC West. UAM is in third place at 3-1. The top four teams advance to the conference tournament.
Harding junior Stephen Blake is leading the GSC in free throw percentage at 90.2 percent. He has made 34 of his last 36 free throw attempts. Blake ranks 11th in NCAA Division II. Alex Hall of Drury is the nation’s leader at 94.2 percent.
Harding has moved into third in the GSC in field goal percentage at 46.8 percent. The Bisons have shot better than 50 percent in three of their last five games. The last season Harding shot better than 50 percent was 1989-90 (52.4%).
In two games last season against Arkansas-Monticello last season, Harding’s Stephen Blake averaged 10.0 points off the bench and connected on 5-of-9 three -pointers.
Harding’s Jeff Morgan is in his 18th season as a head coach and is just two wins short of 300 in his career.
Harding senior Trent Morgan had a perfect shooting night vs. Christian Brothers, connecting on 4-of-4 from the field, including 2-of-2 from three-point range. He also made both of his free throw attempts. Sophomore Kirk Porter was also 5-of-5 from the field but missed one of two free throws.
Harding had just 19 rebounds in its loss to Christian Brothers. It was only the second time since joining the NCAA in 1997-98 that the Bisons had fewer than 20 rebounds in a game. The other was an 18-rebound effort in a 64-62 loss to Southeastern Oklahoma on Jan. 13, 2000.
THE BOLL WEEVILS: Arkansas-Monticello is a member of the Gulf South Conference West Division and is located (obviously) in Monticello, Ark. (pop. 9,327). The Boll Weevils were picked fourth in the GSC West in the GSC Preseason Coaches Poll.
Arkansas-Monticello ranked 16th in Division II in the latest rankings in rebounding margin at +8.8 rebounds per game. The Boll Weevils were also 33rd in scoring defense, allowing only 63.5 points per game.
Jarrell Turner, a 6-4 guard from Chicago, Ill., leads UAM in scoring (16.0 ppg) and rebounding (7.2). He transferred to UAM from South Suburban College in Chicago. He averaged 11.5 points and 9.6 rebounds as a junior college sophomore. Gil Verner transferred to UAM from Division I Nicholls State as a senior and leads the team in assists, steals and three-pointers made.
Arkansas-Monticello ranks 268th of 270 Division II teams in the latest NCAA rankings in free throw percentage. The Boll Weevils have made only 56.8 percent of their free throws and have six regulars that are shooting less than 60 percent.
THE SERIES: Harding and Arkansas-Monticello are meeting for the 107th time with the Boll Weevils leading the series 55-51. Arkansas-Monticello holds a 33-19 advantage in games played in Monticello. The Bisons are 4-4 vs. the Boll Weevils in Monticello since joining the GSC in 2000-01.