Lady Muleriders’ Comeback Falls Short
Contact: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas rallied from a 40-27 halftime deficit to tie the game with about three minutes left, but fell short on their comeback attempt in a 71-66 loss to Texas Woman’s Friday at the W.T. Watson Athletic Center.
It was the fourth straight loss for the Lady Muleriders in their first home game in 41 days. SAU hadn’t played at home since a 55-50 setback to 12th-ranked Texas A&M-Commerce on November 17.
The Pioneers held a 44-31 advantage at 17:19 in the second frame before Southern Arkansas made its big run behind junior guard Shanaye Davis. The Lady Muleriders used an 11-2 run, with Davis getting seven of those, to close the gap to 46-42 over a four and a half minute span. SAU kept chipping away and had it down to 54-52 with 9:23 remaining, and finally evened it at 63-63 on Goldie White’s two free throws with 2:57 left. Lay-ups from Jessica Durr and Brandi Crouch put TWU back up by four until White’s three-point bomb from the hash mark cut it to 67-66 with 31 ticks left. But Southern Arkansas had to resort to the foul game and Durr and Crouch were perfect on two attempts apiece as the Lady Muleriders never got off another shot.
It didn’t look at all like SAU would even get close, at least in the second part of the first half. The teams traded baskets and nine lead changes, with neither leading by more than two points until Savannah Thompson’s jumper put Texas Woman’s up 17-13 at 11:47. That came in the midst of an 18-5 Pioneer spree for a 29-18 lead with 8:16 remaining. TWU held a 16-point margin (38-22) with 3:30 left and cruised to the break.
Thompson and Durr combined for 44 points and 14 rebounds in leading the visitors. Each played 38 minutes with Thompson finishing with 23 points and nine boards, while Durr added 21 and five. Renee Renz, a transfer out of Arkansas-Little Rock chipped in 11 points, and Crouch did an outstanding job running the show in dishing out 11 assists.
White topped Southern Arkansas with 20 points, Kayla Jones posted her first double-double of 
the season, and second of her career, with 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Davis finished with 14 points.
A 10 for 28 shooting (35.7 percent) performance doomed the Lady Muleriders in the first half before they knocked down 15 of 31 (48.4) in their second half comeback to finish 25 of 59 (42.4) for the game. White’s long trey was the team’s only in nine attempts and they hit 15 of 20 (75.0) from the line.
Texas Woman’s was 28 of 59 (47.5) from the field, three of 13 (23.1) from beyond the arc, and 12 of 18 (66.7) at the charity stripe.
The teams were dead even with 36 rebounds each, and SAU had 14 turnovers while forcing 16.
Southern Arkansas played nine straight games on the road over a 29-day stretch during their time away from home, going 3-6. Friday’s action was the Lady Muleriders’ first since dropping two games in the Henderson State Classic in Arkadelphia December 17-18. SAU gets another long break and won’t see the court again until starting Gulf South Conference play January 12 against Christian Brothers in a 3 p.m. tip-off in Memphis.
Muleriders Blow by Savage Storm
Contact: Houston Taylor
DURANT, Okla. – Southern Arkansas ended the 2007 portion of its season with a bang, blowing past Southeastern Oklahoma State, 71-49, Friday at Bloomer Sullivan Gymnasium.
After a jumper from J.R. Moody 11 seconds into the game gave the Savage Storm the early lead, Leon St. Rose’s three-pointer 43 ticks later put the Muleriders on top for good as they cruised to the win. SAU took a 14-3 advantage at 14:04 on Cameron Butler’s lay-up and eventually held a 35-21 lead on Caleb Winters’ trey at 1:37 before SOSU scored seven unanswered to trail 35-27 at the break.
St. Rose’s jumper ignited a 12-2 run to start the second half and Southern Arkansas would lead in double-digits the rest of the way. David Verwer’s lay-up with three seconds left gave the Muleriders their largest lead and the final margin.
SAU shot just 40 percent (26-65) for the game, but hit 10 of 25 (40.0) from beyond the arc, and were nine of 14 (64.3) at the free throw line. Southeastern Oklahoma was held to 38 percent (19-50) for the game, seven of 21 (33.3) from downtown, and went to the charity stripe just five times on only 12 Southern Arkansas fouls, converting on four.
The Muleriders (7-3) committed just seven turnovers while forcing 18 from the Savage Storm, turning them into 29 points. SAU out-rebounded their opponent for only the second time this season, grabbing 37 to SOSU’s 35, and holding a 21-4 edge in second chance points. Southern Arkansas also won the scoring battle inside, 28-18.
Butler continued his strong play, scoring a game-high 14 points on seven of nine shooting, and pulling down a team-high 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season and his career. Channin Harden added 11 points, and Cory Green continued to run the team well by dishing out five assists.
Kyric Rambo led Southeastern Oklahoma with 13 points, Will Robinson chipped in 12, and Ken Reed had 10 and grabbed a game-high 12 boards for a double-double, and added five assists.
The Muleriders, at 7-3, are off to their best start since an 8-2 beginning in 2001-02. The Savage Storm drop to 3-7 on the year.
SAU gets a 10-day holiday break before returning to action January 1 when they travel to face Texas A&M-Commerce in a New Year’s Day 4 p.m. tip-off.
Southern Arkansas Fights off Central Baptist
Contact: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas never quite found its rhythm, but eventually fought off a pesky Central Baptist squad to claim a 73-68 win Tuesday at the W.T. Watson Athletic Center.
The Muleriders (6-3) could never quite shake the Mustangs (4-11) and actually trailed, 38-35, at the break. A lay-up by Darnell Manuel, seeing his first action of the season for SAU, and a pair of three-pointers from Mori Turpin pushed Southern Arkansas ahead to start the second half. After CBC tied it up twice more on Rod Briggs’ trey and Daron Hall’s lay-up, Cameron Butler’s jumper made it 47-45 and finally gave the Muleriders the lead for good at 15:43. Central Baptist wouldn’t go away, but Cory Green’s lay-up and free throw conversion put SAU 
up 65-57 with 5:39 left and his jumper with 47 ticks left made it another eight-point margin at 71-63. Still, the Mustangs stormed back, scoring five unanswered on Ryan Barnes’ jumper and Hall’s three, for a three-point deficit with 20 seconds remaining. From there, CBC only got off one more shot and Manuel’s two free throws provided the final margin.
Fortunately, Central Baptist cooled off in the second half, hitting just 11 of 30 (36.7 percent) as Southern Arkansas’ defense stepped up. The Mustangs rode a 15 of 30 first half performance in taking the halftime lead. Neither team led by more than six points in the opening stanza, that being a 14-8 Mulerider advantage at 14:08. A 7-0 run gave CBC a 15-14 edge, but SAU responded to spurt back on top and held a 27-23 margin with 4:45 left. An 11-2 spree from there gave Central Baptist a five-point spread as they went on to the three-point edge at the break.
Ironically, the teams played a surprisingly similar game offensively as they just flip-flopped halves. Southern Arkansas’ first half shooting (12-29, 41.4) nearly matched their visitor’s 11 of 30 second frame, while the Muleriders heated up in the second on 16 of 29 (55.2) to the Mustang’s 15 of 30 in the first half. SAU got three of 10 treys in the first and three of nine in the second to finish six of 19 (31.6), while CBC hit three of nine in each half for six of 18 (33.3). Free throws were almost identical also, Southern Arkansas converting 11 of 18 (61.1) and Central Baptist 10 of 18 (55.6).
Manuel, who gained his eligibility with the semester break, was a sparkplug the Muleriders needed, scoring a team-high 16 points in only 15 minutes of action. The 6-2 red-shirt freshman out of Altheimer was seven of 10 from the floor and two of three at the stripe, grabbed two rebounds, and had an assist. Turpin was the only other SAU player in double-figures, finishing with 11. Brandon Williams and David Noble each pulled down five rebounds, and Green dished out six assists.
Former Mulerider Trad Williams led all scorers with 21 points, playing all but eight seconds of the 40-minute contest. Williams played his freshman season at Southern Arkansas in 2004-05. Barnes added 14 points, and Hall had 12 and eight rebounds in 40 minutes of play.
SAU takes the court one more time before the holiday break, traveling to Durant, Okla., Friday for a 7 p.m. contest against Southeastern Oklahoma State.
Pittsburg State Completes Sweep of Southern Arkansas
Contact: Houston Taylor
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Pittsburg State (Kan.) completed a season sweep of Southern Arkansas Tuesday, claiming a 74-57 victory in the Henderson State Classic at the Duke Wells Center. The Gorillas earlier handed the Lady Muleriders a 69-60 setback at the Arkansas-Monticello Classic in November.
SAU was never really in this one and after holding an early 8-5 lead, watched as PSU stormed back for a 15-point first half margin before settling for a 34-21 lead at the break. It was more of the same in the second as Pittsburg State held a 65-44 advantage at 6:53, and eventually took their largest lead of the game at 69-46 with 5:12 remaining before cruising to the win.
Southern Arkansas, and all-conference guard Goldie White, couldn’t get on track, as the Gorillas out-played them in nearly all phases of the game. PSU shut White down as she finished just one of 17 from the field and scored a career-low four points. She misfired on six three-pointers and was two of four at the free-throw line. Though off offensively, White pulled down six rebounds, tossed out three assists, and had four steals.
Pittsburg State was 31 of 64 (48.4 percent) from the field to the Lady Muleriders’ 21 of 73 (28.8), including seven of 23 (30.4) treys to three of 17 (17.6). SAU had just nine team fouls, sending the Gorillas to the line only eight times where they converted on five. Southern Arkansas hit 12 of 23 (52.2) from the stripe.
The Lady Muleriders did take care of the ball, committing just 10 turnovers, while forcing 22 PSU miscues, but were pounded on the boards as Pittsburg State hauled down 54 rebounds to SAU’s 38.
The Gorillas (6-3) got game-highs of 18 and 15 points from Liz Witte and Linda Igbinigie, respectively. Samantha Troutman matched a game-high 10 rebounds, and DePrice Taylor had six assists.
Calisha Kirk led Southern Arkansas (4-7) with 13 points, Kayla Jones chipped in 12, and Laura Shuggs added 10 and shared game-high honors with 10 boards, for the first double-double of her career.
The loss concluded nine consecutive games on the road covering 31 days for the Lady Muleriders. SAU hasn’t played at home since a 55-50 loss to then 12th-ranked Texas A&M-Commerce on November 17. That ends as Southern Arkansas, after a 10-day holiday break, finally comes home December 28 to host Texas Woman’s in a 5:30 p.m. tip-off.
Missouri Western State Takes out SAU
Contact: Houston Taylor
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Facing Missouri Western State for the first time in school history, Southern Arkansas couldn’t overcome a poor shooting performance in dropping a 63-54 decision to the Griffons Monday in the Henderson State Classic at the Duke Wells Center.
Trailing 34-28 at halftime, SAU got a tip-in from Kayla Jones and one of two free throws from Goldie White to whittle it to a three-point margin with 18:20 remaining, but Southern Arkansas would get no closer as MWSU took command and cruised to the nine-point win.
The Lady Muleriders hit just nine of 34 shots (26.5 percent) in the closing half, including one of seven three-pointers (14.3), which limited scoring opportunities. Combined with a 10 for 26 outing in the first frame, SAU finished 19 of 60 (31.7) for the game, and was five of 19 (26.3) from downtown. They went to the free throw line 17 times, converting on 11 for 64.7 percent.
Jill Johnson’s lay-up concluded a 12-5 run that gave Missouri Western its first double-digit lead of the second half at 46-36 with 12:41 left. The Griffons went on to a 16-point advantage with their last points of the game at 2:55. Four MWSU turnovers and a missed trey allowed Southern Arkansas to make one final flurry as they scored the game’s last seven points over the final minutes.
Missouri Western (4-2) jumped out to a 9-2 edge with Johnson getting five points in the game’s first three minutes. The Lady Muleriders fought back, eventually taking a 16-15 advantage on Shardae Thompson’s three at 9:02. After Johnson hit one of two freebies to tie, Shanaye Davis canned two for an 18-16 SAU lead at 8:16, their last advantage as the Griffons exploded with a 15-2 spree for a 31-20 margin with 2:27 left.
Johnson and Yanique Javois were double-trouble for Southern Arkansas, with Johnson providing the double, 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Javois spelled trouble by pouring in 16 first half points and finishing with 22 to lead all scorers. Rachel Luteyn added 12 points, and Chemia Woods had six steals.
MWSU finished 25 of 51 (49.0) from the field, four of 18 (22.2) on treys, and was nine of 13 (69.2) at the line.
White was the only Lady Mulerider in double-figure scoring, finishing with 19, and also had seven thefts. Calisha Kirk added nine points and seven rebounds, and Thompson pulled down eight boards.
Missouri Western held a slim 37-34 rebound advantage, and committed 20 turnovers to SAU’s 16. Southern Arkansas had just eight team fouls in the game.
The Lady Muleriders (4-6) conclude nine consecutive games on the road Tuesday as they wrap up play in the classic, taking on Pittsburg State (Kan.) at 4 p.m. Pittsburg State held on for a 69-60 win over SAU November 30 at Monticello in the UAM Classic.
SAU Baseball Signs Seven
Contact: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas Coach Allen Gum has announced the signing of seven athletes to the Mulerider baseball program.
“This is by far the best signing class we’ve ever had here in the fall. We’re excited about all seven guys that we’ve signed and the intangibles that they bring to the field,” said Gum. “We firmly believe that every one of these athletes is exactly what we are looking for and each one will have the chance to be an immediate impact in our lineup,” added the coach.
Signing with SAU is Brandt Barnes, a 5-11, 160-pound outfielder from Bentonville, via Fort Scott (Kan.) College.
“Brandt is a very athletic player who will come in here and be one of the fastest guys in the conference. He already does the little things that will help him be an impact player for us next year,” said Gum.
Four of the signees hail from Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas, and include Cole Lohden, Kris Marshall, Nick Paschal, and J.D. Price.
Lohden is a 6-5, 215-pound right-handed pitcher out of Waxahachie, Texas. Lohden possesses a fastball that consistently ranges in the upper 80’s to low 90’s.
“Cole is a tall, hard-throwing pitcher who will be an impact player on the mound for us,” stated Gum.
Marshall is a 5-9, 165-pound left-handed pitcher from Rockport, Texas.
“We’re excited about signing Kris and looking forward to seeing him in a Mulerider uniform,” the coach said.
A 5-8, 155-pound shortstop out of Scott, La., Paschal is a true shortstop that finds ways to manufacture runs on offense.
“He’s a complete shortstop that possesses a knack for making the big play on defense,” said Gum.
Price is a 6-0, 190-pound right-handed pitcher from Mt. Calm, Texas, who throws in the range of 89-94 and complements his fastball with off-speed pitches.
Though limited in action the past two years at Hill with injuries, Gum raved about the hard-throwing right-hander, “J.D. is an outstanding pitcher who enjoyed a decorated high school career. Even with the injuries, because of his ability and perseverance we believe he’s going to do great things at SAU.”
Mike Webb and Andrew Whittington both come to Southern Arkansas from Galveston (Texas) College. Webb is a 6-0, 190-pound outfielder out of Natchitoches, La., while Whittington, out of Texas City, Texas, is a 6-0, 180-pound shortstop/centerfielder.
“Mike is a big, strong player who runs well for his size and will add power and speed to our lineup,” stated Gum. About Whittington, he went on to add, “Andrew is one of those versatile players who can play anywhere on the field. He’ll compete for the starting shortstop position and his ability and left-handed bat give him a chance to be an outstanding player for us.”
Texas A&M-Commerce Jumps past SAU, 74-64
Contact: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Texas A&M-Commerce used a strong inside game to leap past Southern Arkansas, 74-64, Saturday at the W.T. Watson Athletic Center.
The Lions (3-6) won the battle of the boards with a 45-25 rebound advantage to post big inside numbers in fighting off the Muleriders (5-3). TAMUC outscored SAU 46-18 in the lane and also held a 15-4 margin in second-chance points. Both Champ Sylvester and Rashad Brown pulled down eight rebounds, while Lance Jackson grabbed seven in leading A&M-Commerce. Sixteen of those came on the defensive end as the Lions limited Southern Arkansas’ scoring chances, holding them to just eight offensive rebounds on the night. Cameron Butler was the lone sweeper for the Muleriders, snatching a career-high 10 of their 25 total, six of those offensively.
Trailing 35-33 at halftime, SAU scooted out to a 43-39 lead in the first three and a half minutes of play in the second frame. Cory Green and Mori Turpin each hit jumpers, and Turpin’s and Brandon Williams’ three-pointers completed the 10-4 run, which left Southern Arkansas with what would be their largest lead of the game at 16:26. But back inside went TAMUC, getting a lay-up from Scooby Johnson and a tip-in and lay-up from Sylvester to ignite a 19-4 run which put them in charge, 61-47 with 8:51 left. The Muleriders hung around and were within eight, 70-62, with 2:27 remaining, but Texas A&M-Commerce was able to hold on for the 10-point win.
The Lions jumped out to a 12-3 advantage in the first half, before SAU used a 10-0 spree for their first lead at 13-12 with 13:10 on the clock. The two teams pushed each other back and forth until Butler’s two freebies knotted it at 25-25 at 6:26. TAMUC took control from there, pushing to a five-point advantage before the deuce lead at the break.
Southern Arkansas had been able to counter their shortcomings on the boards with good shooting so far, but that proved to be a problem Saturday as they hit just 22 of 58 for 37.9 percent. That included nine of 26 (34.6) from downtown, leaving them just 13 of 32 (41.0) from inside the arc. Solid at the free throw line, they canned 84.6 percent, but only went there 13 times, hitting 11.
A&M-Commerce got 30 of 60 to fall for 50 percent, including seven of 18 (38.9) treys, and was seven of nine (77.8) from the stripe.
Sylvester led all scorers with 17 points, while Kevin Widemond added 15, Johnson 14, and Jackson 12. The Lions only used seven players throughout the game.
Turpin posted 15 points for the Muleriders, Green chipped in 14, and Butler had 11 to go with his 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.
SAU had but 14 turnovers in the game, while TAMUC committed 16.
Southern Arkansas continues play Tuesday when they host Central Baptist College out of Conway in a 7 p.m. tip-off.
