24th-Ranked HU Men’s Basketball Plays at Southern Nazarene on Thursday

Courtesy Harding University Athletics Department

BETHANY, Okla. – The 24th-ranked Harding men’s basketball team begins its toughest stretch of the season Thursday when it plays Southern Nazarene at the Sawyer Center. The Bisons play six of their final nine games of the regular season on the road with the Southern Nazarene game as the first of three straight away from Searcy. 

Harding enters the game 16-3 overall and 9-2 in the Great American Conference. The Bisons hold a two-game lead over Arkansas Tech at the top of the conference standings and a three-game lead over four other teams.

Harding has won its last nine games, including a 92-86 victory over East Central on Saturday in Searcy. The Bisons outscored the Tigers by 20 points at the free throw line (31-11), and senior Zach Roddenberry scored 23 of his 28 points in the second half, including one stretch of 17 straight points for Harding. The Bisons have never won 10 straight games in program history. 

Southern Nazarene is 10-7 overall and 5-6 in conference play. As provisional members of the GAC, the Crimson Storm is not eligible for this year’s conference tournament. Southern Nazarene has won three of its last four games and defeated Southwestern Oklahoma State 67-63 on the road Saturday.

Southern Nazarene leads the GAC in field goal percentage at 48.7 percent. The Crimson Storm has made 50 percent or better in eight games this season, going 7-1 in those contests. The only loss came in the first meeting between the two teams, when Harding defeated Southern Nazarene 80-67 in Searcy on Dec. 1. 

Roddenberry scored 32 points in that game, and Harding’s 36-25 rebound advantage overcame Southern Nazarene’s 50 percent shooting. The Bisons outscored the Crimson Storm 15-0 on second-chance points in that game, which was the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

Saturday’s game will be carried live in Searcy on KVHU 95.3-FM in Searcy and on HardingSports.com. Live audio, video and statistics will be available through links on HardingSports.com courtesy Southern Nazarene Sports Information.