SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist's final trip to Arkansas for the 2023-24 season comes this week. OBU will head to No. 10 Harding on Feb. 8 before a contest with Arkansas Tech two days later on the 10th.
Previously this season, the Bison fell to HU in overtime, 65-61, and defeated ATU 52-48.
The Bison Sports Network's Todd Miller and Scott Wanish will be on site for the call of the games.
A Diverse Attack
Oklahoma Baptist got a wide array of help in its 67-65 win over Ouachita on Feb. 3. On top of
Jaedyn Getman's game-high 21 points, six other Bison scored at least four points. That was only the fifth time in 20 games that at least seven OBU players scored at least four. During the Nov. 17 contest against Oklahoma City University, nine different players scored at least four points, a team season-best.
We Call This 'Notable'
Sophomore sensation
Jaedyn Getman as mentioned above scored a game-high 21 points against Ouachita. That came on 10-of-18 shooting. It marked the 10th time this year that she reached 20 points. With that, Getman is now one of only two Bison in the D2 era to score at least 20 points in 10 games. Previously, Victoria Blankenship accomplished the same during the 2018-19 campaign.
Making the Wright Pass
Sophomore
Faith Wright had a big say in the team's victory over Ouachita last weekend. In 14 minutes of action, the Dale, Okla., native handed out five assists. That was a career-best and topped her previous total of four in a game at Northwestern Oklahoma State on Dec. 2, 2023.
This Was a Big, Needed Victory
Oklahoma Baptist's victory against Ouachita not only stopped a three-game losing streak, it also moved the Bison into a tie for sixth place in the Great American Conference standings. There are eight games remaining for head coach
Bo Overton's unit. Five of those contests are against squads OBU has already beaten: Arkansas Tech, Arkansas-Monticello, Southern Arkansas, Southeastern Oklahoma State and East Central. By the night of March 2, eight teams will have qualified for the GAC Tournament. With OBU's win the other day versus the Tigers, that bolstered their chances immensely.
Converting The Freebies
Over the last six games, this Bison squad has done a fine job at the foul line. In fact, they have reached the charity stripe 90 times and converted 70 of those. That's a very good 77.8-percent mark.
Kennedy Large has led the way making 88.2 percent (15-17) while Getman has connected at an 82.1-percent rate. Also,
Parker Stevenson and
Jill Leslie have each shot at least 75 percent. With that, OBU has moved into 48th in the country in team free throw percentage (75.1).
One Last Arkansas Trip
The final road haul to the Natural State comes this week for the Bison. They'll face Harding on Feb. 8 before a Feb. 10 contest versus Arkansas Tech. Historically, this has been a tough trip for OBU. The green and gold are 0-7 in the D2 era in Searcy, Harding's home location, and 1-6 in Russellville. However, the Bison should have confidence going into these games. Earlier this year, the Bison nearly defeated then 13th-ranked Harding, but fell in overtime, 65-61. Against Arkansas Tech, OBU dialed up a 52-48 win on Jan. 11.
On The Horizon
With less than a month left in the regular season, Bison fans will have four more opportunities to watch this edition of Oklahoma Baptist women's basketball. A four-game homestand starts Feb. 17 against Northwestern Oklahoma State. Then on Feb. 22, OBU will host Southern Arkansas before a Feb. 24 home date against Arkansas-Monticello. On the final day of February, the green and gold will play Southeastern Oklahoma State. Be sure to get your tickets by going to obubison.com/tickets. If the Bison can qualify for the Great American Conference Tournament, they'll play at nearby FireLake Arena starting on March 7.
Meet Harding
Last week, Harding earned two road wins over East Central and Southeastern Oklahoma State. Those victories bolstered HU's record to 18-2 overall and 13-1 in the league. The wins also clinched a berth into next month's GAC Tournament for HU.
Senior center Sage Hawley leads Harding. She has the 12th-most double-doubles in the nation with 10 and her 10.7 rebounds per contest is ranked 13th. In the last matchup with OBU, Hawley actually struggled a bit, scoring eight points with 11 rebounds. She also shot just 4-of-17 from the field.
Junior guard Kendrick Bailey was the key factor for Harding's win in Shawnee on Jan. 14. She made four 3-pointers and tallied a team-high 16 points. This season, her 37.8 percent mark from three-point land is 11th-best in the GAC.
Also leading HU in the backcourt is freshman Josie Williams. She is ninth in the conference in assists (2.1), 18th in scoring (11.2) and the league leader in free-throw percentage (93.3). Williams' free throw mark is also third-best in Division II.
As a team, Harding boasts the nation's No. 41 scoring defense. It allows 58.5 points per game. HU is also fourth in the GAC in scoring (70.9) and field-goal percentage (41.3). Also of note, HU is ranked third in the conference in three-point percentage (33.7) and slotted first in defending the three-point line (27.2).
Meet Arkansas Tech
Arkansas Tech has lost two straight after being defeated by previously last-place East Central on Feb. 3. The Golden Suns fell by a 65-62 margin and their bench was outscored in the game 20-4.
Alex Hill scored a team-high 24 points in the game versus ECU. She also added five steals. That was Hill's third 20-point game of the year. She ranks 14th in the GAC in scoring at 12.9 points per game and 20th in free throw percentage (71.4). In the previous matchup with OBU, Hill struggled, shooting 1-of-8 from the field with three turnovers.
As a team, ATU is fifth in both scoring offense and points allowed. The Golden Suns score 69.3 points per contest while holding opponents to 61.8. They are also slotted second in field goal percentage defense (34.3) and are the GAC leader in team rebounds per game (43.4).
ATU's worst statistical category is free throw shooting. They rank 11th with a 67.4 percent mark. In the previous game with OBU on Jan. 11, the Golden Suns made 8-of-19 for 42 percent.
Dana Thompson is Arkansas Tech's top rebounder. She pulls down 9.0 per game, the third-best tally in the conference. Thompson secured 11 in the last matchup with the Bison. Also of note, Thompson shoots 49.3 percent from the field, fourth-best in the GAC, and blocks 1.1 shots per game, fifth-best.
