WBB-D2: Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm (15-4) at Henderson State Reddies (11-8)

The Henderson State women’s basketball program returns home to host first-place Southern Nazarene on Friday, Feb. 3, with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m. inside the Duke Wells Center.
 
REDDIES REPORT
Henderson (11-8, 8-5) is on a two-game win streak after defeating Southeastern Oklahoma State 61-52 in its last game. The Reddies were led by Ashley Farrar, who posted her third double-double of the season against the Savage Storm with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
 
HSU’s defense has tightened up recently, holding its last six opponents to an average of 62 points per game. Against Southeastern Oklahoma State, the Reddies held the Savage Storm to single-digit points in the second and third periods and gave up their fewest total points of the season (52). Across all games, Henderson ranks eighth in scoring defense in the GAC, giving up 66.7 points a contest.  
 
Farrar recorded back-to-back 20-point games against East Central and Southeastern Oklahoma State, and she now has scored double-digit points in 17 games this season. The Green Forest, Ark. native is averaging a GAC-best 20.2 points a game and is backed by Abbie Jiles and Gracie Raby, who are scoring 12.1 and 10.9 an outing, respectively.
 
In the reverse fixture, the Reddies fell to the Crimson Storm 63-47 inside the Sawyer Center. SNU was able to knock HSU’s offense out of rhythm and hold them to its lowest points total of the year. Sonni Martin led the team that afternoon with 18 points and was 4-7 from the three-point line.
 
Henderson has a good home record against Southern Nazarene, winning six of the nine games in the Duke Wells Center. However, the Crimson Storm have won three straight contests over the Reddies, including a 66-62 win in Arkadelphia. HSU and SNU have played each other evenly through 20 games, as each side has won 10 contests.
 
SCOUTING SOUTHERN NAZARENE
The Crimson Storm enter the game versus Henderson in first place in the GAC with a 15-4 record. Last time out, SNU beat Southern Arkansas 75-74 to improve to 12-1 in conference play, with the lone loss coming against Harding, 75-65.
 
Hannah Giddey and Cassandra Awatt lead SNU’s stout defense that gives up the fewest points a contest in the GAC (57.6 ppg). Giddey ranks second in the nation across Division II in blocks per game with 2.7 and recorded five against HSU in the first meeting. Awatt creates havoc for opposing offenses as she has a GAC-best 52 steals.
 
Along with being a strong defender, Awatt is second in the GAC in rebounds, grabbing 8.7 a game and is averaging 13.5 points. Georgia Adams, who did not feature in the first meeting between SNU and HSU, is Southern Nazarene’s top scorer with 15.3 points a game and shooting 43.9 percent from the field. Against Southern Arkansas, Adams was one of five players to reach double-digit scoring figures with 15 points.