The last week of the 2016-17 Arkansas Tech University basketball regular season is going to sound like a Willie Nelson song on repeat. The Golden Suns and the Wonder Boys will be on the road again…and again…and again.
ATU will begin a string of three consecutive road doubleheaders to conclude the Great American Conference schedule by visiting Henderson State University on Saturday, Feb. 18.
Trips to East Central University in Ada, Okla., on Thursday, Feb. 23, and Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant on Saturday, Feb. 25, will bring the curtain down on the regular season.
Both the Golden Suns and the Wonder Boys have already clinched berths in the GAC Tournament at Bartlesville, Okla., March 2-5, and both are in contention to earn a bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
#19 ATU Golden Suns (19-4, 15-4 GAC) vs. HSU Reddies (8-17, 8-11 GAC)
When: Saturday, Feb. 18, 1 p.m.
Where: Duke Wells Center, Arkadelphia
Radio/Internet: KCJC 102.3 FM/www.arkansastechsports.com
Series: Tech leads 61-12
About the Golden Suns: Arkansas Tech collected a 68-62 win over Henderson State at Tucker Coliseum in Russellville on Jan. 19. Cheyenne North led the Golden Suns with 15 points and a season-high 17 rebounds. Anissa Pounds, Danielle Frachiseur and Kelsey McClure finished with 14 points apiece for Tech, which defeated Henderson State for a seventh consecutive time. The Golden Suns are in sole possession of second place in the GAC standings with three regular season games remaining.
About the Reddies: Henderson State’s loss at Arkansas Tech on Jan. 19 was the beginning of a slide that has seen the Reddies lose nine of their last 10 games. The Reddies are part of a three-way tie for seventh place in the GAC standings. Only the top eight teams in the final league standings will advance to the GAC Tournament. HSU’s Pink Jones (14 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists per game) is a candidate for GAC freshman of the year honors.
ATU Wonder Boys (19-4, 15-4 GAC) vs. HSU Reddies (14-11, 9-10 GAC)
When: Saturday, Feb. 18, 3 p.m.
Where: Duke Wells Center, Arkadelphia
Radio/Internet: KCJC 102.3 FM/www.arkansastechsports.com
Series: HSU leads 78-74
About the Wonder Boys: Arkansas Tech has won 10 consecutive games to move into a tie for first place in the GAC standings. Justin Graham, who scored a season-high 29 points in the Wonder Boys’ 92-86 win over nationally 16th-ranked University of Arkansas-Monticello on Thursday night, is 10-of-13 from 3-point range in Tech’s last three games. The Wonder Boys have made 10 or more 3-pointers in each of the games during their current winning streak. Tech defeated Henderson State 83-69 on Jan. 19 behind a season-high 24 points from Grant Prusator.
About the Reddies: Henderson State has lost four of its last five games. The Reddies are on the GAC Tournament bubble. They will enter Saturday tied for seventh place in the GAC standings and must finish inside the top eight in order to earn a ticket to Bartlesville. Kaylon Tappin (15.1 points per game) is Henderson State’s top scorer. He notched 27 points in the Reddies’ 86-82 win over Ouachita Baptist on Monday.
