The Harding University men’s basketball team remains in first place over Southeastern Oklahoma State in the Great American Conference.
As of press time, the team was 14-3 overall and 7-2 in the GAC.
Head coach Jeff Morgan said the Bisons have done really well up to the halfway point of the season.
“We had some really good non-conference wins, and we had some good conference wins so far,” Morgan said. “I’m really proud of these guys and that we played well together as a team, a very unselfish team, and that they work really hard every day.”
So far the Bisons have managed to win every home game this season.
`”Last year was kind of up and down and we weren’t very consistent,” junior guard Weston Jameson said. “But this year I think we’re on a six-game winning streak and we’ve been able to put some wins together in a row. It’s been miles better than last year.”
Morgan said non-conference wins over Northwest Missouri State, Christian Brothers and Saint Edward’s University are also important for NCAA regional rankings, because if they continue playing well it will put them in a position that may be regionally ranked and have an opportunity to go to the NCAA Tournament.
The rest of the season could be tougher for the team due in part to a lot of road games in January and in February. As the season goes on, the stakes get higher and the team is playing for the position that they want to put themselves in as a team.
“Everybody in the conference is just even and really close in talents so pretty much anybody in the conference can win,” junior forward Hayden Johnson said. “You have to bring out the best effort every night.”
According to Jameson, it is about having good practices in between games, which usually translates to success on the floor during the games. The Bisons have four home games left in the season and every one of the rest of their games is a GAC game.
“The main thing is we try to really focus on what we’re doing day to day,” Morgan said. “We talk about the big goals but once we process what we’re going through each day to get to those goals, then we’re a lot more concerned about what we’re doing (today).”
Johnson said if they keep playing like they are right now they will be in good shape at the end of the conference season.
Tomorrow, the Bisons will take on the East Central University Tigers at 4 p.m. in the Rhodes Field House.
