ARKADELPHIA – The Ouachita Baptist University women's basketball team opens the Great American Conference portion of its 2021-22 schedule this week with a road game against Arkansas Tech and a home game against Harding.

The Tigers travel to Russellville on Thursday, December 2 to take on Arkansas Tech starting at 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, Harding comes to Bill Vining Arena for a 1 p.m. matchup. Live stats and live streaming video will be available for both games. The Ouachita Sports Digital Network will broadcast Saturday's home game. Links can be found at OBUtigers.com/coverage. General admission tickets will be available for Saturday's game for $5 upon arrival.

TIGER TRACKS

• Ouachita enters the week with a 1-2 overall record, having last played this past Saturday on the road against Rogers State. It was the team's only non-conference road game of the season. The Tigers lost to the Hillcats by a final score of 82-71.
• Ouachita has played the fewest amount of countable games this season in the GAC at three. The next fewest is four by East Central and Arkansas Tech. The Tigers opened the season with a two-point loss to then-ranked No. 10 A&M-Commerce, a team that is now 6-0 and ranked No. 5 in the nation. The lone win of the year so far was a come-from-behind blowout victory over Champion Christian at home last Tuesday. The Tigers outscored CC 51-16 in the second half. The third game of the season was the previously mentioned contest against Rogers State.
• The Tigers were picked to finish No. 8 in the GAC preseason coaches poll for the 2021-22 season. In last year's COVID-plagued season, Ouachita finished fourth in the GAC eastern division with an overall record of 4-5 and a conference mark of 3-4.
• So far this season, Ouachita is eighth in the league in scoring (76.7 ppg) and also eighth in scoring defense (68.3).
• The Tigers are currently led this season by a pair of freshmen, Aspen Thornton and Laney Mears. Thornton is second in the GAC with an average of 21.3 points per game. Mears and junior Makayla Miller rank 10th in the league at 16.3 points per game.
• Mears leads the GAC in steals at four per game. She is second in the league in three-point percentage (67 percent) and three-pointers made (3.3 per game).
• Lauren Wright is Ouachita's top rebounder this season and ranks sixth in the league at eight boards per game.

SCOUTING ARKANSAS TECH

• The Golden Suns enter the week with a 3-1 overall record with wins over Champion Christian (96-67), Christian Brothers (84-63), and most recently Angelo State (76-63) this past Saturday on the road. The day before the win over ASU, the Suns lost to Texas Woman's 60-57.
• The Suns were picked No. 2 in the preseason GAC coaches poll after finishing 14-2 last year with a conference mark of 12-1.
• The Suns are fifth in the GAC in scoring (78.2) and fourth in scoring defense (63.2). Tech is one of the league's top rebounding teams, leading the conference in offensive rebounds and ranking second in rebounding margin (+7.2).
• Tech is led by Ashlei Lopez, who is third in the GAC in scoring at 20.3 points per game. Sydnee Wynn is third in the GAC in rebounding at 9.7 per game.
• Since the beginning of the GAC, Tech has a 22-2 series advantage, and has won 16 in a row.

SCOUTING HARDING

• Harding enters the week with a 4-1 record, all against NCAA Division II opponents. Since starting the season with an 86-68 loss to Emporia State, the Bisons have rattled off four victories, all with a single-digit scoring margins. Most recently, Harding beat Angelo State (83-75) and Texas Woman's (64-56) this past weekend in a tournament hosted by Angelo State.
• Harding opens GAC play on Thursday against Southern Arkansas at home.
• Harding was picked No. 5 in the preseason GAC coaches poll after a 7-8 finish last season with a 6-7 mark in conference games.
• Harding is seventh in the GAC in scoring (77.2) and 10th in scoring defense (75). The Bisons are the league's second-best shooting team with an overall field goal percentage of .451.
• Sage Hawley and Hannah Collins are Harding's top scorers. Hawley ranks sixth in the GAC at 18.4 points per game, while Collins is ninth at 16.6. Hawley leads the GAC in rebounds and is the only league player with a double-digit average in the category at 11 boards per game.
• Since the beginning of the GAC, Harding holds a 17-5 series advantage, and has won nine in a row.