On Saturday, February 25 at 5:30 p.m. in the Rhodes-Reaves Field House, Henderson State takes on Harding to conclude the regular season.
Reddies Report
Henderson’s victory over Arkansas Tech earned the team the third seed in the GAC Tournament. With 45.2 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc, the Reddies produced one of their best shooting performances of the season.
After going 4-8 against ATU, Ashley Farrar jumped to number five in career-made three-point field goals (154) and moved into the top five on the all-time scoring list (1,388) with 29 points. Gracie Raby scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and provided two assists, making it her fourth game in a row with at least ten points.
Sonni Martin, who has served as the team’s facilitator throughout the season, had zero turnovers and seven assists in the victory over Arkansas Tech. This season, the native of Jonesboro, Ark., has set up 85 baskets and is averaging 3.1 assists per game. In her ninth appearance of the season, Tamia Templeton defeated the Golden Suns, grabbing ten rebounds and putting up four points.
The Reddies have won six of eight games in February, including a four-game winning streak. The offense of Henderson has been on fire recently, scoring 80 points in three of the last four games and ranking fifth in the GAC in scoring (67.8).
In their first meeting, Harding defeated Henderson 83-65 at the Duke Wells Center, defeating the Reddies. That evening, Abbie Jiles and Farrar scored 19 and 18 points, respectively, to lead HSU. Prior to the defeat, HSU had defeated the Lady Bison four times in a row, including victories at home and away.
SCOUTING HARDING
Like Henderson, Harding has won five straight games, the most recent of which was a 68-47 victory over Arkansas-Monticello. With its most recent victory, HU secured a spot as the second seed heading into the GAC Tournament.
Sage Hawley leads the Lady Bisons and is averaging a double-double every game. The forward averages 19.2 points per game and a GAC-best 10.6 rebounds per game. Hawley has recorded 17 double-doubles this season, including one with 24 points and ten rebounds against Harding in the most recent game.
With 2.3 blocks per game and 64 total blocks, Hawley leads the strong Lady Bison defense, which gives up a league-low 56.6 points. She is tied for fourth in the nation. The Lady Bisons have won five games in a row, averaging 51.2 points per game, and they have 20 blocks and 27 steals.