MBB GAME NOTES: VERSUS OKLAHOMA BAPTIST FEBRUARY 21, 2025

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Reddies will face the Bison on Friday instead of Thursday due to inclement weather in a battle of GAC Tournament caliber teams.
 
HSU faces off versus the second-place Bison on a Friday for the first time during conference play this season. HSU sits at fifth in the conference, looking to clinch a spot in the GAC Tournament for the first time since the 2022-23 season where they defeated No. 3 seeded Southeastern.
 
The Reddies will have to go through the No. 2 seeded OKBU and No. 1 SNU this weekend. The Reddies nearly defeated the Bison on the road, falling by just three while Tim McDonald played just two minutes due to injury. McDonald was named this week's GAC Defensive Player of Week for his eight rebound and eight stock performance versus Ouachita Baptist.
 
Against OKBU in January the Reddies scored 44 points in the paint and had seven players score five or more points, Braydon Redd scored nine points in just 10 minutes off the bench. The Reddies held the Bison to just 36.5 percent shooting from the field but 22 points off the bench from Ethan Scott pushed the Bison past the Reddies.
 
The Reddies currently rank 31^st in the country in field goal percentage and 43^rd in the country in fast break points per game. The Reddies also rank second in the conference in team field goal percentage during conference play while ranking fourth in offense.
 
Henderson State remains one of the best rebounding teams in the conference. The Reddies are averaging 34.7 rpg while holding opponents to 32.5 rpg in conference play. A +2.2 margin is good for fourth best in the conference. HSU ranks second in the conference in offensive rebounds per game (11.1).
 
Oklahoma Baptist enters the match up 16-8 overall and 13-5 in conference. The Bison are coming off a near-100 points performance versus Northwestern, defeating the Rangers 98-87 in Alva, Okla.
 
A balanced offense for the Bison is led by Terry Coner Jr., averaging 15.7 ppg during conference play. Coner Jr. is shooting 32.6 percent from deep during conference play and leads the team in assists with 3.7 apg.
 
The Bison have steadily remained second in the conference almost all season. Oklahoma Baptist's biggest win came against Southern Nazarene at home by 10. Against SNU the Bison had three players score in double digits, Coner Jr. scored 20 points on 8-14 shooting from the field. Coner Jr, did not play versus the Reddies in the first meeting.
 
The Bison lead the GAC in team rebounding, averaging 38.6 rebounds per game during conference play and offensive rebounds per game (11.2).
 
The Bison are led by head coach Jason Eaker who is in his seventh season as head coach for Oklahoma Baptist. Foster has an overall record of 103-62 and is currently leading the Bison to their fifth winning season during his time in Shawnee.
 
Players to Watch:
 
Tim McDonald was named this week's GAC Defensive player of the Week. McDonald was dominant on the defensive side of the ball versus Ouachita Baptist. McDonald totaled eight stocks and a team-high eight rebounds.
 
Nehikhare Igiehon has been dominant all season, currently eighth in the conference in ppg during conference play Igiehon has scored 20+ points in four of his last eight games and in double digits in 15 of 17 conference games.
 
The Reddies will tip off on Friday night at 7:30 versus the Bison, looking to inch closer to securing a position in the GAC Tournament.