A ,-season of ups and downs The 1979-80 basketball season was full of ups and downs. The Bisons started the season with a flourish, streaking to a 6-1 record. However, a few weeks later their record stood at 7-6 and then 9-11. The season ended with a loss to conference champion Hendrix College, with the overall record at 12-17 for the year and 4-14 in conference play. "We're disappointed in our won-loss record," said Head Coach Jess Buey.' "It was a frustrating season from that standpoint, but I'm proud of our graduating seniors. We're losing the finest bunch of seniors that we've ever had. They're tremendous young men with the right priorities established in life." Those graduating were Bruce Binkley, Phil Carter, Bruce Lowe and Kenny Moorer. According t~Assistant Coach Wilt Martin, 15 players made up this year's Bison squad, of whom 10 were starters at dif.:. ferent times during the season. Harding ranked high this year in both field goal and free throw percentages and finished near the twentieth spot nationallly in field goal percentage. Asked to explain the contrast between statistical performance and the won-lost record, several Bisons offered suggestions. Said Ricky Treadway, a forward, "We lost nine games by six points or less, and six of those were by three points or less. " He added, "We had ability but we didn't put it together until the second part of the season." Charles Gardner, center, added, "We had (continued on page 130) On the road themselves with card games, studying, sleeping or just talking with one another. At 2 a.m. the bus turned onto a deserted Center Avenue and squeaked its brakes to a stop in front of the American Heritage dormitory. The night's stillness was briefly interrupted as the contents of the bus unloaded and, with THE BISONS basketbalf team prepares to leave for the University of Central Arkansas on February 18, on the way to one of their many away games of the season. slumping shoulders and nodding heads, filtered into the building, An orange, pebble-grain basketball sat perched at the back window of the bus and watched , , , . That's how a typical longdistance road trip ended for the Harding Bisons basketball team. The team traveled as far as Springfield, Missouri. and many hours were spent by the team en route to a game and back again. Players, meanwhile, occupied For Bruce Binkley, it was "tough to study on the bus," As he recalled, Everyone is excited and talking on the way there, so you can't read. On the way back, you're tired, so you mostly just sleep." As far as academics were concerned, "You just don't get much done on road trips," he said. The tone of the return trip home was directly affe~ted by the score of the game, Bruce said. "If we lose, there's not much said. If we win, though, everyone goes crazy, and," he sighed, "Kenny " Moorer sings." Road games affected different players in different ways. For Binkley, there was more pressure at an away game because of the traveling involved. "Traveling has an affect on you because you have to just jump off the bus, go right in and get things going." Two a.m. arrivals on campus after a road game were not a favorite among most players. Some, however, took it all in stride, like Bruce who said, "As you get more experience, it doesn't bother you as much." l? - Beth Parker rod 129 Basketball
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