Reddies Set for Second Game of Road Trip

2025-26 Men's Basketball Game Notes

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. -- Reddie men's basketball hits the road for the second of four consecutive road games Thursday night when they head to Shawnee, Oklahoma to take on 7th-ranked Oklahoma Baptist. Tip-off from the Noble Complex is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Henderson State enters the second of a four-game road trip with its final trip to Oklahoma this weekend. The Reddies make the central Oklahoma swing holding on to the last spot in the GAC Championship, sitting one spot behind fifth-place East Central and one game ahead of a three-way tie for ninth place.

HSU took a wire-to-wire win in Monticello Saturday, defeating UAM 62-48. The 51.2 percent from the field was the best offensive showing by the Reddies in their last five games and the third-best field goal percentage of the conference season.

The Reddies' defense has started to come into form over the last five games; the team ranks second in the GAC in steals per game and third in the league in turnovers forced per game. HSU has managed to remain in the top half of the league in scoring offense despite making the fewest threes in the league and the second-fewest in all of Division 2.

Henderson and Oklahoma Baptist have as even a series as any two teams in the GAC. The teams are both 2-2 in the previous four matchups, 3-3 in the previous six, and 7-7 in their last 14.

Scouting Oklahoma Baptist

Oklahoma Baptist enters Thursday's game winners of its last 13 games; the Bison have not lost since December 18, when it lost at East Central. OKBU now sits at its highest rank in the NABC poll in the Division 2 era, a record that has been surpassed each of the last four weeks.

The Bison are a dominant scoring and rebounding team. They lead the Great American Conference in scoring offense. OKBU also paces the league in rebounds per game, free throw attempts per game, and turnover margin.

OKBU is led by guard Terry Coner, Jr., one of the early favorites to be named GAC player of the year. The junior guard leads the team with 20.8 points per game and 3.6 assists per game; Coner ranks second in the league in scoring and is ranked in the top-20 nationally in points and free throws per game.

Last Meeting: The Reddies trailed 39-27 at halftime after Oklahoma Baptist shot 48.3 percent in the first half and made six 3-pointers. Henderson State closed the gap to six early in the second half but did not take the lead again in a 73-61 home loss. Henderson State shot 43.6 percent from the field but went 1 of 9 from 3-point range. The Reddies were 12 of 20 at the free-throw line.

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