The LadyBisonbasketball team finishedthe regular season with a school-record 27 wins and currently sitatNo. 2 in the latest USA Today Sports Coaches’ Poll releasedonTuesday,March 4th.
The team finished 19-1 in the Great American Conference and was named the 2014 GAC champions.After losing toEast CentralUniversity in overtime in late January, the Bisonsfinished the season on a nine-game winning streak before heading into the GAC tournament to play Ouachita Baptist University this Friday’s opening round.
”Ending the season with a 27-1 recordissomething we never expected to happen,” junior forward Arielle Saunders said. “But we are really excited about winning conference and being the number one seed heading into the tournament.”
Harding finished second in scoring offense and first in scoring defense this season in theGAC.The team finds itself inthe top half ofitsrespected conference going into the tournament this weekend.
Saunders said a lot of their success this year has been due to great team goalstheyimplemented before the season began. She saidputting theteam first over themselves as individualswas one of themaingoals they needed to achieve.
The Bisons moved from No. 3 in the nation,to No. 2 earlier this week, which makes it the third week in a row Harding has been ranked in the topfive. The team has its highest ranking of the season going into the GAC tournament.
”Right nowthatNo. 2 is just that –a number,” senior forward Kristen Celsor said. “Until the season is over and that championship is played, it doesn’t mean much, we have to earn our rank.”
Celsor said every team they play from here on out is going to give them their best shot;night in and night out,a target will be on their backs.
OnFriday,the Bisons take the court againsteighth seed Ouachita Baptist University who finished with a record of 9-17 and finishedninthin conference. Harding won both regular season match-ups against OBU,withone of those gamesbeing a 28-point victory. The team will want to repeat that performance this Friday.
”We want to go into the tournament playing our best basketball of the season,” head coach Tim Kirby said. “We feel like mental preparation will be very important to begin thetournament.”
Harding’s first game at the GAC tournament will be on Friday, March 7, at 5:45 p.m. in Bartlesville, Okla.
