RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Harding University Lady Bisons have been tapped as the preseason favorite in the Great American Conference (GAC) women’s basketball poll, released Wednesday.
Harding collected seven first-place votes, edging out rival Southern Nazarene, which received four first-place votes. The Lady Bisons are coming off a stellar 26-6 season, which saw them reach the second round of the NCAA Central Region Championships.
This season, Harding returns its four double-digit scorers: Sage Hawley, Aubrey Isbell, Josie Williams, and Rory Geer. Hawley, an All-American, enters the season with an impressive 1,730 points and 1,028 rebounds in her career. Williams, the 2023-24 GAC Freshman of the Year, averaged 11.2 points per game and shot 35.8 percent from the 3-point arc.
The Lady Bisons open their season on Saturday, November 2, at the D2CCA Tip Off Classic in Canyon, Texas, hosted by West Texas A&M.
The GAC Basketball Championships will be held in Fort Smith for the first time, taking place from March 6-9 at the Southside Arena.
