- John Chrrry 288· Basketball Tough Conference Proves Too Much For the 1981·82 Harding basketball team, lady luck didn't play her role. The season began with an inspiring non· conference record, but as the conference season rolled around, things changed from day to night. A well·balanced can· ference from top to bottom - coupled with some tough ballgames that were decided by very small margins - contri· buted to a 12·17 overall record and a 4·14 mark in conference play. Improvement was the main goal when the season started. Coach Jess Bucy returned three starters and seven total lettermen from the 1980·81 squad and tried to build a competitive team around those players. "We have a pretty solid nucleus and believe we will definitely be improved," Bucy said before the season . "We have some experience, a good basic shooting team, and we should be able to compete." Senior leadership was of high priority in the Bison's desire for success. Charles Gardner had led the team in scoring and rebounding the previous year and was se lected AII·NAIA District 17. He was joined by lettermen David Presley and Alan Pearson. Both had been part time starters their junior years and possessed good scoring skills. " Depth is always a problem, " Bucy said, "and the caliber of play we get from some of our young ones will have a lot to do with the sue· cess of our season," The year began with promising results as the Bisons opened with a 5-1 record. The second and third wins came in the Harding University Invitational Tournament. The Bisons edged out Christian Brothers College, 62·60, in the semi· finals and dropped University of Arkan· sas . Pine Bluff, 70·57, in the champion· ship game, The Black and Gold also competed in the McDonald's Classic, hosted by school of the Ozarks at Point Lookout, Missouri. Tarkio handed the Bisons a 66·55 loss in the first round, but the Bisons came back to defeat Baptist Bible College, 82·61 in the final round. 1. WITH A LOOK of question of his face, Hubie Smith eyes an official that didn't miss the play. 2. FRESHMAN guard Danny Starkey moves up to play man·to·man defense in anticipation of another steal. 3. BASKETBALL TEAM. Front row: Horton, Price, Smith, Madison, Har· ris, Sweeney, Wade, Starkey, Lowe. Back row: Martin·Coach, Calvert, Altumbaugh, Presley, Gibbons, Sanstra, C. Gardner, Pearson, McNutt, Berning, B. Gardner·Coach, Bucy· Head Coach. 4. JUMPING from his favorite spot, Charles Gardner arches a shot ouer the defender. After the Christmas break, the conference slate began_ Carrying a 7-3 nonconference record into the conference games, the Bisons were obviously considered a darkhorse for the AIC crown_ But getting on the right foot from the beginning is a major key in having success while competing in a round·robin schedule_That was one task the Bisons failed to accomplish, College of the Ozarks opened the Bison 's conference list, and the Mountaineers dealt the Black and Gold a 79-67 loss at Searcy. University of Cen· tral Arkansas wouldn't give the Bisons any breathing room either, as they took a 69·46 win at Conway. After a nonconference win over School of the Ozarks, more hard times were to meet the Bisons as they dropped two more conference games, Arkansas Tech, behind the hot shooting of forward Joe Bob Wise, dropped Harding at home, 73·62. Wise led the Wonder Boys back from an ear ly deficit with 28 points. The Bisons finally earned their f irst conference victory of the season when Ouachita Baptist University came to town, The contest was possibly the best performance by two different teams on the Bison court during the entire season. Both squads shot outstanding field goal percentages and the score see-sawed
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