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ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State won its fifth game in the last six contests Thursday against Arkansas Tech to claim a berth in the 2023 GAC Tournament. Now, HSU will look to lock up the league's six seed with a win over Harding in Searcy, Arkansas Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m.
 
REDDIES REPORT
Henderson put on a shooting clinic on Senior Night against the Wonder Boys en route to its 20-point victory, hitting 51.8 percent (29-56) of its field-goal attempts, 60.9 percent (14-23) from three, and connecting on all nine free-throws. Zyon Patterson and Franck Kamgain spearheaded the efficiency effort, combining to shoot 66.7 percent (14-21) from the floor and 77.8 percent (7-9) from beyond the arc as the duo claimed 36 of the Reddies' 81 points.
 
Against ATU, Alvin Miles recorded the first 11-assist game for HSU since Jan. 7, 2021. Miles has been terrific as the front man for the Reddie offense and defense lately, notching at least five assists in seven of the last eight games while scoring in double figures in all but one contest during that same stretch. In Henderson's last six games, the Memphis, Tennessee native is averaging 16 points, 6.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 steals per outing.
 
With one game remaining before the GAC Tournament, Henderson sits in a tie for sixth place with Oklahoma Baptist. With HSU and OKBU splitting the head-to-head series this season, the Reddies hold the quality-of-win tiebreaker, meaning a win against Harding or a loss from the Bison against East Central will lock up the six seed for the red-and-gray, As the three seed, Henderson would be pitted against either Southern Arkansas or Southeastern Oklahoma State in the first-round matchup.
 
Henderson has won six consecutive games against Harding, including earlier this year when HSU made 12 three-pointers to defeat the Bisons in Arkadelphia, 87-66. The Reddies have won the last two meetings inside the Rhodes-Reaves Fieldhouse with the last loss on HU's home floor coming Jan. 14, 2021. It was Harding's turn to knock down 12 triples that day to claim victory.  
SCOUTING HARDING
Harding defeated Arkansas-Monticello on the road Thursday, 69-57, to give the Bisons back-to-back conference wins for the first time since the 2020-21 season. The black-and-gold have taken three of their last four, two of which have come on their home floor, including a 24-point victory over Arkansas Tech.
 
The Bisons boast the nation's fourth leading scorer in big man Taylor Currie, who is averaging a league-high 24.1 points per game while also pulling down a team-high 9.8 rebounds per contest. Currie has scored in double figures in 26 of HU's 27 games this season, including six 30-point games. Keyln McBride backs up the 6'11" center with 10.5 points per game.
 
On top of Saturday being Senior Night for Harding, head coach and athletic director Jeff Morgan will be retiring as head men's basketball coach after 30 years on the job, compiling a 449-391 record. In HSU head coach Jimmy Elgas' eight years with the program, he has an 11-6 record against Morgan.