ALVA, OKLA.- The Rangers Men's Basketball team is set to host Harding University Saturday afternoon as Northwestern looks to continue this hot stretch especially at home. The Rangers will look to pull-off the season sweep over the Bisons Saturday after winning the first meeting between the two teams 83-80 back in January. Tip-off is set for 3:00PM with senior day activities taking place before the warm-ups of the game following the Lady Rangers game.
Northwestern (18-7 overall, and 13-6 GAC) will look to build off their two-win week so far with victories over rival Southwestern and Arkansas Tech. The Rangers have won four straight home games and hold a 10-3 record in Percefull Fieldhouse. Northwestern has won eight of their last nine games overall.
Rangers are led in scoring by Larry White at 13.1 points per game as one of four Northwestern double figure scorers on the season. He is joined by Malik Parsons at 12.8 points a game who continues his hot stretch scoring double figures in nine of his last 10 games and 20+ in three of his last five. Brian Free averages 12 points a game along with Bubba Furlong to round out the group. Free leads the team with 68 made three pointers on the season to date which is first in the conference and his percentage of 43% is second in the conference. Free and Parsons lead the team in assists with 67 and 64 on the season. As a team the Rangers rank third in assists per game.
The Rangers are scoring 76.1 points per game which ranks second in the conference on 47.8% shooting ranking second overall in the GAC.
On the defensive side of the ball Northwestern is averaging 67.5 points allowed per game which is fourth best in the GAC. The Red-and-Black are holding their opponents to 41.6% shooting, the best mark in the Great American Conference, entering play Saturday. The Rangers rank first in steals per game at eight total per game led by Larry White. White has 49 steals on the season, the conference best averaging 1.96 per game. Northwestern forces the second most turnovers as a group at 15 per game, second best in the GAC. Furlong has 67 blocks on the season which ranks first in the conference and third overall in the nation. His 2.68 per game are also a conference best as Northwestern as a whole average five also a conference best. Furlong is third in the conference at 7.8 rebounds per game as the Rangers as a team are second.
Scouting Harding:
The Bisons (6-19 overall and 4-15 GAC) enter Saturday afternoon coming off a Thursday victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State 82-72 in Weatherford. Overall the Bisons are 2-9 on the road this season after their Thursday win.
As a team the Bisons are sixth in scoring at 70.4 points per game ranking sixth in the conference on 42.6% shooting as a team ranking 10th overall. Harding has three players averaging double figures a game in Taylor Currie leading the team at 17.3 points a game, joined by Stateston Smithson at 14.9 and Ramiro Santiago at 11.2 each outing. Currie leads the team at 56% shooting from the field. Santiago leads the team with 71 assists per game.
Defensively the Bisons allow 78.9 points per game which is 12th in the GAC on 45.5% shooting allowing their opponents also ranking 12th in the conference. The team forces the seventh most turnovers in the conference at 12.4 and is second in the GAC in blocked shots behind the Rangers. Currie leads the team with 45 blocked shots on the season, the only one with double digit blocks on the year. Steals Santiago and Smithson lead the team with 24 each on the year with Romen Martin having 22.
History:
This will be meeting number 19 between the two schools with the series history deadlocked at 9-9. The Rangers took the first meeting between the two 83-80 in Searcy back in January. The Rangers overall have won the last two games and have taken four of the last five including three straight in Alva.
Back in January the Rangers were led by Free with 20 points, one of four double digit scorers for Northwestern joined by Furlong, Parsons, and White. As for Harding, Smithson led with 27 and Santiago with 23 points that afternoon.
Links:
Stats: https://riderangersride.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
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