Photo by Jeff Montgomery
Harding women’s basketball started the season strong during three road games before the first home game of their season on Thursday.
After opening the season as the top team in the preseason poll in the Great American Conference (GAC), the Lady Bisons opened their year winning two of their first three games. The success of the weekend gave several players recognition for their performances.
Fifth-year senior Sage Hawley was named the National Division II Player of the Week after averaging 32.5 points in the first two games of the year. To get those points, Hawley was efficient, shooting 69.2% from the field, which leads the GAC. Hawley said it’s always a team effort, and she was glad to be the hot hand her teammates could trust during that stretch.
“One of my favorite things about my team is the level of trust and respect we have for each other,” Hawley said. “They know they can trust me with the ball, and if and when they are on fire, I’m gonna get them shots too.”
Hawley said the fact that she’s been around most of her teammates for the past several years has helped her create a closer bond. Along the same lines, the similar roster every year has allowed them to be able to use their past experiences on the court to relate to each other, and help be better leaders to the new members of the team.
“From a leadership standpoint, I have needed to have a different leadership style every single year, sometimes for different people as well,” Hawley said. “This year we are a really fun close-knit team, I just get to be myself and work hard. This team has taught me a lot about the value of having fun in practice and on trips, but being able to turn around and work harder and fix mistakes.”
Another Lady Bison picked up recognition as sophomore Josie Williams took the GAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. She said that while she’s grateful to receive the recognition, she felt as though the entire team as a whole played great defense, and that encourages her and the team to be able to achieve their goals for the year.
“This group is a very special one,” Williams said. “We have big goals for this season and are ready to put in the work together to achieve those goals as a team. I enjoy being around every single one of these girls and I’m so excited about the memories we are going to make together this season.”
Just behind Hawley, senior Rory Geer was second in scoring, and also chipped in with four assists. She said winning is her main focus, giving everyone the best opportunity to score.
“I am always looking for the success of my teammates, and at the end of the day, I just want to win the game, no matter who scores,” Geer said. “So I’m always looking for open teammates and creating the best shots possible for this team.”
Three seniors will regularly start and play crucial minutes for the Lady Bisons. Hawley said there’s a lot of urgency for this group in their last season together. In trying to have that urgency and replicate that to on-court success, Hawley is excited for what is to come.
“I am excited to see where this year takes us,” Hawley said. “I am already proud of this team, and this group of seniors have all done a lot to prepare for the season, and I can’t wait to show people throughout the year.”
Harding’s Thursday home game against the University of Central Oklahoma will be the Lady Bisons’ only home game in their first seven games, including their first two games against GAC opponents. For Hawley, she said she looks forward to when the team can play in front of their home crowd.
“Our program has been consistently successful for many years and we have reaped the benefits of that with our loyal fan base in the Searcy,” Hawley said. “Our student section means everything to us — the louder the gym, the more energy there is and the more fun everyone has. I can’t wait to play and experience the Rhodes Reaves atmosphere again.”
