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ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - Henderson State will look to get off to a strong start in conference play on Thursday evening when the Reddies take on Southern Arkansas at 5:30 p.m. in the conference opener for both teams down in Magnolia, Arkansas.
REDDIES REPORT
- Henderson State (3-1) picked up its third win of the year on the day before Thanksgiving when the Reddies came away with an 86-73 win on the road at Roger State. HSU shot over 70 percent from the field in the fourth quarter to pull away for a comfortable win.
- The Reddies are searching for their fourth win in the last five tries against SAU on Thursday evening. HSU won both matchups with the Lady Muleriders in 2016-17 and split the season series last year. Both teams got a road win over the other last season.
- Pink Jones and Hailey Estes are both averaging 18.5 points per game this season, which ties them for fourth in the GAC. The two are the highest-scoring duo in the conference entering league play. Estes is also sixth in the league in rebounds per game (7.3) and has hit more 3-pointers than any player in the league (13). Karrington Whaley is eighth in rebounds per game (6.5) and is shooting an astounding 64.3 percent from the field, which is fifth-best of any player in the GAC.
- HSU had a fantastic 16-6 record in the GAC last season but will be looking for a better start to conference play this year. The Reddies actually started 0-2 in league action last season but went 16-4 in the remaining 20 games after the slow start.
- The Reddies are one of just three teams in the conference thus far that average more than 80 points per game. Henderson is third in the GAC in scoring offense with an average of 81.5 points per game through the season's opening games. HSU has the best shooting percentage of any team in the GAC as well with a blistering 49 percent mark from the field.
- Henderson was ranked 9th in the Central Region in the latest D2SIDA poll on Nov. 26.
SCOUTING SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
- SAU enters the conference opener 1-3 on the season after going 9-19 and 8-14 in GAC action last year. Southern Arkansas has yet to beat an NCAA DII team. The Lady Muleriders have a new head coach in Adam Collins, who was a men's assistant for Henderson State during the 2005-06 season.
- The Lady Muleriders have to replace two key pieces from last year's roster: forward Kimberly Crown, who transferred to Central Missouri, as well as DI transfer guard Sue Key, who exhausted her eligibility. In two matchups last season with the Reddies, Key and Crown combined for 104 of their team's 148 points.
- SAU is led this season by Ariana Guinn, who is averaging 12.8 points per game and is 24-for-27 from the free throw line (88.9 percent). Guinn, however, has shot just under 31 percent from the field through four games. Every player on SAU's roster is averaging 16 or more minutes per game.
