RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas Tech women's basketball returns to Great American Conference action this weekend, after over a month since its last conference contest. The Golden Suns travel to Shawnee, Okla. to take on Oklahoma Baptist at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, before heading to Bethany to take on Southern Nazarene at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
 
COVERAGE
Live statistics, video and audio for both games are available at www.arkansastechsports.com. The games can also be heard live on 102.3-FM (KCJC) in Russellville with Sam Strasner calling the play-by-play.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
Arkansas Tech holds a 5-2 edge over Oklahoma Baptist in the all-time series that started in 1984. The Golden Suns have won five consecutive against the Lady Bison, including two wins by an average margin of 17.5 points last season.
 
Against Southern Nazarene, Arkansas Tech leads the all-time series, 12-3. The meetings began in 1985, and Southern Nazarene has not defeated the Suns since 2013. Tech escaped Bethany with an 89-86 win last season.
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN SUNS
Arkansas Tech (7-1, 3-1 GAC) has won at least seven of its first eight games for the sixth time since the 2009-10 season. The Golden Suns are currently riding a three-game win streak, in which Tech has outscored its opponents by an average of 31.3 points.
 
The Golden Suns lead the GAC in scoring offense (83.6) and scoring margin (+24.2), while also leading the conference in rebounding margin (+11.6) and turnover margin (+4.88). Tech has limited opponents to a .327 field-goal percentage, sixth-lowest in Division II.
 
Jayana Sanders paces Tech with 14.6 points per game, followed by Ke'Vonshaye Stackhouse with 12.3 points and Lyrik Williams with 11.9 points. Williams and Cheyenne North both rank in the top five in the GAC in rebounding with just over eight per contest. North also leads the conference and ranks 11^th in Division II with 2.9 blocks per game, and Kylie Ladd is second in Division II with 4.3 steals per game.
 
SCOUTING THE LADY BISON
Oklahoma Baptist (6-4, 1-3 GAC) is coming off a 70-60 win over Northeastern State on Saturday. The Lady Bison's lone conference win this season came on November 18 against Southern Arkansas.
 
Oklahoma Baptist is one of three GAC teams averaging at least 80 points per game (Arkansas Tech, Southwestern Oklahoma). The Lady Bison lead the conference in field-goal percentage (.457) but are last in field-goal percentage defense (.440). Tasha Edge leads OBU and ranks third in the conference with 17.0 points per game. Her 9.1 rebounds per contest rank second in the GAC. Autumn Avina averages a GAC-best 5.4 assists per game, while McKenzie Cooper leads the conference with 2.9 three-pointers per game.
 
SCOUTING THE CRIMSON STORM
Southern Nazarene (4-5, 2-3 GAC) defeated Midwestern State 70-66 on Saturday, snapping a five-game losing streak. The Storm started conference play with two consecutive wins but have lost three straight since, including a 66-60 defeat at the hands of Southeastern Oklahoma on Dec. 6.
 
The Crimson Storm rank ninth in the conference in scoring (64.3) and 11^th in field-goal percentage (.356). SNU has relied on its defense that ranks second in the GAC in opponent field-goal percentage (.360) and sixth in scoring defense (66.6). Adrienne Berry and Alexus Jones average 13.8 points and 10.8 points per game, respectively, while Jones is the only player in the conference averaging at least 10 points, 5 rebounds and four assists per game.