Montana Lewis is about to etch her name into the Harding women's basketball record book, but the mark she's about to break is one that few people will recognize.
The former Bentonville standout needs only 21 more minutes of game action to pass the 3,250 minutes Catherine McMenamy played at Harding from 2005-09. Even Lewis admits she doesn't think much about the record she's about to break.
At A Glance
Montana’s Milestones
The following is a list of what former Bentonville standout Montana Lewis has done during her basketball career at Harding University and where she stands in the school’s record books:
Minutes: 3,230 (second — needs 21 to break the school record of 3,250 set by Catherine McMenamy, 2005-09)
Games started: 107 (third — needs five to move into second place)
Offensive rebounds: 237 (fourth)
Minutes average: 28.6 (fifth)
Defensive rebounds: 410 (seventh)
Offense rebound avg: 2.1 (ninth)
Defense rebound avg: 3.7 (10th)
Rebounds: 647 (11th)
Games played: 113 (T-12th with five other players; should be in top 10 before career ends)
Field goals made: 367 (13th — needs 17 to move into 12th place)
Free throws attempted: 350 (14th — needs 14 to move into 13th and 15 to move into 12th)
Points: 15th (1,019 — needs 11 to move into 14th and 14 to move into 13th)
Field goals attempted: 833 (15th)
Free throws made: 216 (17th)
Rebounding average: 5.8 (18th)
3-point field goals made: 69 (19th)
3-point FG percentage: 19th (.347)
3-point field goals attempted: 196 (20th)
Assists: 188 (20th)
"I hadn't put a lot of thought into it," Lewis said. "I've just wanted to play my best and provide what I can for my team. I've never really thought about how many minutes I've played while I was here.
"I've definitely been blessed to not have any serious injuries like I did when I was in high school. I'm fortunate and grateful that I've been able to play as much as I do."
Lewis, who plays an average of 31.2 minutes per game this season, should break the record in fitting fashion Thursday night. The Great American Conference regular-season title will also be on the line as Harding (19-5, 15-3) takes on Arkansas Tech (19-5, 14-4) in Russellville.
The record should be broken some time in the second half, but there won't be a stoppage of play or a short celebration when it happens. Play will go on -- fitting for a person who was given the nickname "Iron Mon" by Harding assistant coach David Walker.
"She's been the unsung hero of this program," Walker said. "A lot of what Montana does goes unnoticed, like her defensive play and the way she's been a stabilizer on offense. As coaches, we value her floor game, and it's crucial to what we've done while she's here."
The only question Harding coach Tim Kirby had about Lewis was what position would be best for her as well as the team. Most of the time, it's been at guard, where she's allowed to use her height to provide mismatches against smaller opponents.
That wasn't the case last year in a game at Northwestern Oklahoma, when the Lady Bisons experienced some foul trouble in the post position. Kirby was forced to turn to Lewis, who turned her ankle two days ago at Southwestern Oklahoma, and she responded with a 20-point, six-rebound performance in a 76-75 Harding win.
"Montana started the game, but we weren't expecting her to play as many minutes as she normally does," Kirby said. "We were forced to play her, and she had an incredible game. Even though you could tell she was hurting, she was out there giving everything she had.
"She's handled everything we've ever thrown at her, and she's going to be one of those we'll miss when she's gone next season. She's the perfect teammate, the perfect competitor, and our freshman class has been picking up some good things from here. I wish I had about 15 like her on my team."
Lewis has played in all 113 games since her arrival at Harding, including 107 consecutive starts since she moved into the starting lineup. She recently hit another milestone when she became the 15th player in Harding history with 1,000 career points, hitting the mark in a Feb. 14 game against Southeastern Oklahoma.
She's currently second on the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game and in rebounding with 5.6 per game. She could climb more spots in several categories if Harding has a successful postseason run this season.
"It's my last season, so I'm just trying to make the most of it," Lewis said. "In the last few games I have, I want people to say I gave everything I had and take advantage of every moment I'm out there on the court."
Henry Apple can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAHenry.
Sports on 02/24/2015