Boll Weevils Basketball Teams Set for Arkansas Tech, Harding

Courtesy UAM Athletics Department

MONTICELLO — The University of Arkansas at Monticello basketball teams are set for Great American Conference matchups with Arkansas Tech and Harding this Thursday and Saturday. The teams play Arkansas Tech on Thursday, January 17 at home and follow with a trip to Searcy on Saturday to face off against Harding. The conference doubleheaders start at 5:30 p.m. on both days. 

UAM’s women (2-10, 0-7 GAC) enter this week’s slate ranking ninth in the league in scoring at 60.9 points per game, while ranking seventh in defense at 67.9 points allowed per outing. UAM’s men (8-5, 3-4 GAC) rank eighth in the league in scoring at 69.2 points per game, while leading the league in defense, giving up only 60.5 points per contest.

Senior guard Kori Forge paces the Boll Weevils and the conference with an average of just over 21 points per game. Forge scored 33 points in UAM’s last outing, a 72-56 victory over Southern Nazarene at home last Thursday. 

The UAM women will be looking to junior guard Ashley Qualls to pick up where she left off with a career-high 19 points in last Thursday’s 61-52 loss to Southern Nazarene. 

The Cotton Blossoms and Boll Weevils (8-5, 3-4 GAC) both will face off against defending GAC champions Arkansas Tech on Thursday. The ATU men and women captured the inaugural GAC regular season title last year, while the men added a tournament championship to its trophy case.

ATU’s women (8-5, 5-2) are coming off a 67-49 victory over Henderson State this past Saturday at home, which was followed by a 75-63 win for the ATU men (8-5, 5-2) over the Reddies.

The UAM women will be facing off against the league’s top-shooting team in the Golden Suns, a team that has made just over 42 percent of its shots this season. The Golden Suns are also the league’s top team in terms of steals with an average of 11.8 per game, and the league’s second-best rebounding team with an average of plus-six per outing. Jessica Weatherford leads the Golden Suns and ranks third in the league with an average of 18.2 points per game. 

The UAM men face a Wonder Boy squad that has won six of its last seven games led by Willie Kirkland, who is averaging just over 13 points per game and Will Paul at an average of just over 12. The Wonder Boys rank last in the GAC in scoring at an average of 65.7 points per game, while ranking third in scoring defense at an average of 65.1 points allowed per game.

Harding’s women have won six straight contests and are undefeated at home with an overall record of 9-4 and a 5-2 record in GAC games. The Lady Bisons are currently the league’s top defensive unit, allowing just 60.2 points per game heading into their Thursday night matchup on the road against Southern Arkansas. The Lady Bisons most recently captured a 66-58 win over Ouachita Baptist at home this past Saturday.

Harding’s men (12-3, 5-2) have posted the league’s top shooting numbers, ranking second in field goal percentage (47.7 percent), first in three-point percentage (39.1 percent) and first in free-throw shooting (74.2 percent). Saturday’s matchup between UAM and HU will feature the league’s two top scoring defense units. UAM ranks first at 60.5 points allowed per game, while HU follows with an average of 64.5 points given up. The Bisons head to Southern Arkansas on Thursday after most recently posting an 83-78 victory over Ouachita Baptist this past Saturday at home.

Links to live stats, live video and live audio off all four games this week will available at uamsports.com.

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