Men's Basketball Continues Road Swing at Southern Nazarene

2025-26 Men's Basketball Game Notes

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. -- Reddie men's basketball continues its four-game road trip Saturday with a matchup with the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm. Tip-off from the Sawyer Center in Bethany, Oklahoma is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Henderson State looks to avenge its toughest loss of the 2025-26 season Saturday when it takes on Southern Nazarene. The Reddies and Storm played an instant classic in Arkadelphia on January 15th, when SNU defeated HSU 90-85 in three overtimes.

HSU's late charge wasn't quite enough Thursday, as the Reddies fell to seventh-ranked and conference-leading Oklahoma Baptist. The Reddies cut the Bison lead to two points with less than four minutes to go after trailing by as many as 14; OKBU went 7-of-10 from the free throw line down the stretch to seal the victory.

The Reddies are still in the thick of the GAC Tournament race. At 7-12, HSU currently sits in a five-way tie for sixth place, just a game behind fifth-place East Central. Eight teams are within two games of each other, but only four will qualify for the tournament: Oklahoma Baptist, Ouachita Baptist, Harding, and Southern Nazarene are the only schools to have clinched a berth with just three games remaining.

Henderson remains third in the league in field goal percentage despite ranking 11th in three-point percentage. For the first time this season, the Reddies' scoring margin has reached a negative number: HSU averages 71.7 points per game while allowing 72.3.

Scouting Southern Nazarene

Southern Nazarene has played .500 basketball since its last matchup with Henderson State, but the Crimson Storm have remained in the top half of the GAC standings. SNU was ranked as high as fifth in the nation earlier this season, but enter Saturday's game winners of just three of its last five games.

The Storm have still had moments where it has looked like one of the best teams in the country, including Thursday night's 73-60 win over Ouachita Baptist. Southern Nazarene held the Tigers to just 25.5 percent shooting from the floor and 30 percent from three.

SNU continues to be led by senior guard Baron Bracey, who leads the team in both scoring and rebounding. The 6'2 Bracey leads the Great American Conference with 8.3 rebounds per game, and he ranks seventh in the league with 14.4 points per game.

Last Meeting: In a game that tied for the longest in program and conference history, Henderson State forced three overtimes before falling 90-85 to Southern Nazarene. The Reddies showed resilience late in regulation, erasing multiple deficits before Xavier Owens' driving layup with 24 seconds left gave Henderson State a 61-58 edge. Southern Nazarene answered at the horn, however, as Baron Bracey buried a contested 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime.

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Players Mentioned

#20 Xavier Owens: G; 6' 5"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#20 Xavier Owens
: 6' 5"; Senior
: G

Players Mentioned

#20 Xavier Owens

Players Mentioned

#20 Xavier Owens

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