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ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State is making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2005-06 when they competed in and won the NCAA South Regional Tournament. On Friday, HSU will face tournament hosts No. 1 seed and No. 10 nationally ranked Southern Nazarene in the first round of the NCAA Central Regional Tournament at 5 p.m. inside the Sawyer Center. 
 
REDDIES REPORT
On the way to a first GAC Tournament title, Henderson State posted its first 20-win season since 2021 and the third under head coach Jill Thomas. While the offense was clicking on all cylinders, one of the keys to the Reddies' run to the championship was their defensive play. HSU held Arkansas Tech to 62 points in the first and limited Southwestern Oklahoma State to just 55 on 31.7 percent (20-63) shooting from the field and 6.3 percent (1-16) from beyond the arc in the finals.
 
First Team All-GAC recipient Ashley Farrar was named the tournament MVP after recording 54 points and 20 rebounds across the three games, including 24 points and 10 rebounds in the championship game. The Green Forest, Ark. native is averaging 15.9 points per game and 4.7 rebounds this season and has scored 493 points on the year, and needs just seven more to become the first player for HSU to register three-straight seasons with 500 points.
 
Backing Farrar in scoring is the reigning GAC Newcomer of the Year, Tori Gittens, who is averaging 10.8 points per game. Gittens logged 29 points during HSU's run to the title and knocked down seven triples on 50.0 percent shooting. The Sherman, Texas native has been red-hot all year from beyond the arc, as she remains first across all DII in three-point field goal percentage on a 51.2 percent shooting mark.
 
All-Tournament Team honoree Jadah Pickens was the star of the show in the semifinals, recording 35 points in the 81-77 win over top-seeded SNU. Pickens averaged 16.3 points per game for the tournament and is seeing 8.6 points per contest this season. Brynlee Huggins also received All-Tournament Team recognition with 35 points across the event. Huggins is tied with Olivia Allen in scoring with 8.1 points per game.
 
Henderson State and Southern Nazarene meet on Friday for the fourth time this season. SNU got the better of HSU in the two regular season meetings, but the Reddies got revenge in the semifinals of the GAC Tournament with an upset win over the No. 1 seed. Henderson's semifinal victory over the Crimson Storm snapped a six-game losing streak to Southern Nazarene that dated back to 2022.

SCOUTING SOUTHERN NAZARENE
No. 10 Southern Nazarene (28-2, 21-1) is back in the NCAA Central Regional Tournament for the second year in a row after making it last season as the No. 8 seed. This year, the Crimson Storm are hosting the tournament after locking up the No. 1 seed in the region after a 28-2 overall season. SNU has been one of the best teams in the nation all season, having reached as high as No. 4 in the WBCA poll, and has ranked inside the top 10 for the last 12 weeks. 
 
SNU has been nothing but dominant inside the Sawyer Center for the last two years, with 26 straight home wins. The last time the Crimson Storm saw a defeat on their home court was in 2022 to Southwestern Oklahoma State. Southern Nazarene's dominance starts with its defense, as they rank sixth in DII in scoring defense, giving up just 53.9 points per game. GAC Defensive Player of the Year Hannah Giddey leads the defensive efforts for SNU with 3.5 blocks per game and 106 total blocks, which both rank second across all of DII.
 
On the other side of the court, the Crimson Storm have a trio of players averaging double-figure points per game, led by First Team All-GAC Lauryn Reither with 15.4 points per game. Reither is converting 50.2 percent a clip from the field and leads the team with 44 triples on 38.3 percent shooting. Giddey is second on the team in scoring with 14.4 points per game, followed by Emily Monaghan with 13.3. The Crimson Storm are averaging 68.3 points per game as a team and shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from beyond the arc.

TICKETS
All tickets can be purchased on the day of the game at the facility. Each ticket is good for one day of the tournament. Adult tickets are $20 for the day, while student tickets are $10. Cash and card will both be accepted for the use of purchasing tickets. 

HOW TO WATCH
For the 2023-24 NCAA Central Regional Tournament, the NCAA and HUDL TV have partnered to allow viewing for all the tournament action. Fans who wish to watch Henderson State vs. No. 10 Southern Nazarene in the opening round can visit NCAA.com and pay a one-time fee of $9.95 to view Friday's first-round contest.
 
Neither Henderson State nor Southern Nazarene are responsible for streaming of Friday's first-round game. The NCAA controls all streaming rights of the opening rounds for Division II Central Regional contests.
 
The Henderson State Sports Network will still carry the game on the radio for fans who wish to enjoy the game over the airways.