GAME COVERAGE LINKS | GAME NOTES

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Henderson State will look to bounce back on Thursday night when it makes its longest road trip of the year to face NWOSU at 7:30 p.m. in Alva, Oklahoma.

REDDIES REPORT
- The Reddies ended the 2021 calendar year with an 83-78 loss at home to preseason GAC favorite Oklahoma Baptist. HSU trailed by as many as 18 in the second half before trimming the Bison lead down to just a point in the final minute. It was the first time Henderson shot 50% or better from the floor and lost in the Jimmy Elgas era. 

- Elgas remains just one win away from reaching 100 in his career at HSU. The seventh year head coach is 99-78 overall at HSU, but 60-32 since the start of the 2018-19 season.He would join Don Dyer (202), Rand Chappell (130) and Grady Bean (101) as the only coaches in program history to reach 100 wins.

- Xavier Davenport has played well for the Reddies over his last five games. Davenport has scored in double figures in four of the last five contests, is shooting 22-for-30 (73.3%) from the floor and 9-of-12 (75%) from 3-point range over that span. 

- Yuri Swinford has also provided back-to-back strong efforts for HSU. Swinford scored 17 points in the win over Dallas Baptist and had 11 against OKBU last Thursday. It is the first time in his Henderson career he has scored in double figures in consecutive games.

- In GAC games, Henderson ranks third in the league in scoring defense (65.6 points per game) and sixth in field goal percentage defense (43.1%). HSU continues to lead the conference in steals (50) and steals per game (10). The Reddies are second in the GAC in turnover margin (+2.8) and fifth in rebounding margin (+2). They are the only team in the league with a turnover and rebounding margin of +2 or better.

SCOUTING NWOSU
- Northwestern Oklahoma State is 7-4 overall and 2-3 in GAC play. The Rangers, who went 3-12 last season and 1-11 in conference, have turned things around quickly and boast wins over Northeastern State, East Central and Southern Nazarene.

- NWOSU is led in scoring by sophomore forward Larry White, who averages 14.3 points on 60.7% shooting from the floor. The Rangers have three other players averaging more than 10 points per game, including fellow big man Bubba Furlong, who is chipping in 10.4 points and a team-best 7.4 rebounds per contest.

- As a team, the Rangers have played well on both ends in GAC action. NWOSU ranks third in the league in both field goal percentage (47.5%) and field goal percentage defense (41.8%). Northwestern has struggled at the free throw line, where it shoots 58.1% collectively, but leads the conference in blocks per game (4.4).