M E N Bisons Face Tough Conference Opponents f 5 B A 5 K E T B A L L Exhileration and disappointment were frequent feelings felt during the 1983-84 Harding University basketball season. The Bisons took the crowd for a roller coaster ride hitting the highs and lows in percentage shooting. The Harding Bisons opened the season with an optimistic outlook with the return of high scoring center Al len Gibbons, and with plenty of experience and strength in the back cou rt. Prior to the season opener , Coach Jess Bucy commented, "We're real pleased with the progress of our team and of our players as individuals. We're capable of putting together a good unit and we'll be deeper at guard than we've ever been. Our quickness at guard will be the best that we have ever had. We've got some sol id talent and if it jells together, we could be much improved. " Harding's deepness and quickness in the guard court .came . from the return of seni ors Fl oyd and Lloyd Smith. With an average of 5.5 assists per game, Floyd Smith was the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference's second leading assist man last year. Lloyd Smith provides the quickness ' and aggressvieness to handle opposing point guards. Also providing depth for the Bisons was guard Dwight Weaver, a junior co llege transfer student from Mississippi County Community College. Leading the Bisons and the AIC with 19.3 points per game and nine rebounds last year . was returning senior, Allen Gibbons. In 1983-84 Gibbons received NAJA A11American honorable mention, All-AIC and District 17 honoree. At 6-9, Gibbons gave the Bisons an added boost. Also returning to the Bison line-up was sophomore Kenny Collins. Colllins had previously stepped into a starting position and finished the year with a 10.6 points per game and 5.9 rebound average. Newcomer to the Bison line-up was Rich Foster. Foster was a junior college transfer from Jefferson College. Foster played forward for the Bisons and averaged 16 points per game at Jefferson. The Bisons opened at home with the Harding Basketball Classic. In the first round, the Bisons went up against Austin College and won, 80-67. In the final, Harding hit a cold streak, hitting only 36.9% from the field. The University of Arkansas at Monticello won the championship by defeating the Bisons 54-59. The Bisons ended their non -conference play wi th a record of 6-4. In their first conference game , the Bisons shut down the University of Arkansa s at Monticello in a 76-53 rout. The Bisons had four players in double figures and a hot hand from the free throw line to overcome the Mean Green. Harding took a thrilling upset over Powerhouse Henderson State University, 89-92. The Bisons had tremendous balanced sco ring with Allen Gibbons leading the way 74 Men's Basketball with 20 points, forwards David AlIumbaugh, Kenny Collins, and Rich Foster ch ipping in 16, 15, 14, points respecti vely. In their next conference game, the Bisons took a comfortable win over Arkansas College , 73-61. The Bisons shot 62% from the field. Late in the game the Scots got within five points, but three key freethrows by Ll oyd Smith put the Bisons safely in the lead. Floyd Smith put in four clutch free throws in the final seconds, to give Harding an 82-80 victo ry over Hendrix College. Harding overcame a 15 point deficit with 8:17 remaining in the game to take their fourth conference win. Rich Foster led the Bisons by sco ring his season high of 21 points. In their first conference loss, the Harding Bisons were defeated 54-42 at home by the College of the Ozarks. Ozarks played a tough defensive game forcing Harding to make 24 turnovers. The Bisons traveled next to Arkadelphia to take on Ouachita Baptist University. Free throws in the final minutes of the game gave the Tigers the edge they needed to defeat the Bisons, 74-62. The Tigers made 15 out of 16 attempts from the foul line in the final five minutes to ice the game. Kenny Collins paced Harding with 16 points. Arkansas Tech University handed Harding their third loss in a row, in a 64-52 win. Tech was down 43-41 with only seven minutes to play, when they put on a 18-3 run in the next six minutes; to take the lead and the victory. Harding was given nine free throw attempts and could only put in two of them. Next. the Bisons played Southern Arkansas University. Southern Arkansas University led from the start to the finish in a convincing win over the Bisons, 68-41. Harding sho t only 31 % from the fie ld. The Bisons ended their four game losing streak with an 86-84 overtime win over the Univetsi ty of Central Arkansas. Allan Gibbons hit a baseline jumper with 24 seconds left in the game to put the Bisons into overtime. Wi th three seconds left in overtime, and a onepoint lead for the Bisons, Lloyd Smi th sank one of his two free throws to clinch the Harding victory. As a team Harding sho t 67% from the field and Rich Foster led a ll scorers with 28 points. Harding's next opponent was College of the Ozarks which were ranked 14th by the NAIA. The Bisons jumped out to early leads 11-5, then 17-13 and finally 25-23 with 2:08 left in the first half. Harding scored the fir st basket after intermission but Ozarks got hot and as close as the Bisons came was 10 points with 15:50 left in the game. The Bisons we nt down to defeat by the score of 73-54. Foster was high points man for Harding with 15 and Sanstra managed 12 points. Ha rding retu rned home to take on _ & ic SlriplitrR
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