SAU Rolls past West Alabama, 83-49

Contact: Houston Taylor

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Leading throughout, Southern Arkansas rolled past West Alabama, 83-49, Tuesday at the W.T. Watson Athletic Center.

In what was possibly their most complete game of the young season, Coach Eric Bozeman’s Muleriders were nearly flawless in almost every facet of the contest. SAU used a balanced attack as all 13 on the roster played, with 12 seeing action for 10-plus minutes. Southern Arkansas set season-highs for field goal percentage (53.4) in hitting 31 of 58 shots, three-point percentage (41.4) in canning 12 of 29, and 19 assists.

The Muleriders jumped out to a 13-2 beginning in the first six minutes with junior guard Mori Turpin dropping in a lay-up and two treys in that span. Another Turpin three at 9:54 made it a 15-point margin and senior guard Cory Green’s jumper at 3:24 gave SAU its largest first half advantage of 21 points, 37-16.

Maurice Naylor’s lay-up pulled the Tigers to within nine, 13-4, at 11:58 in the first stanza, the last time UWA would see a deficit of single digits. Southern Arkansas went on to lead at the break, 41-23.

The Muleriders outscored West Alabama 17-6 over the first eight minutes of the second frame and held a 58-29 edge at 11:50 on David Noble’s lay-up. SAU rolled on, taking a 34-point lead at 1:06 on Leon St. Rose’s downtown launch, and after the Tigers’ Caleb Norman flipped in a lay-up, St. Rose’s tip-in set the final margin.

Southern Arkansas (3-1) put up 29 shots in each half, connecting on 15 in the first and 16 the second for their hot hands. Their 29 trey attempts were also a season-high, as were the 12 swishes. The only drop-off shooting-wise for the Muleriders was at the free throw line, and it was slight, as they attempted just 13 and converted on nine for 69.2 percent. SAU came into the game connecting on 74.4 percent.

Solid defensively, Southern Arkansas forced UWA into 22 turnovers, which they turned into 20 points, while committing only 11 themselves. The Muleriders did a better job on the boards, trailing just 33-31 in that category. The avalanche of players off the SAU bench proved beneficial as they held a huge 46-16 scoring advantage there.

Turpin saw a season high of 21 minutes and responded with a game and season-high 17 points. He hit six of eight shots, including five of seven from beyond the arc. Turpin also shared team-high honors of four rebounds with Cameron Butler and David Verwers. Noble and Channin Harden tossed in 10 points each, while Green dished out a game-high seven assists to his teammates.

Naylor scored 14 and grabbed seven boards to lead West Alabama (1-4), and Abdoulaye N’diaye chipped in 13 points.

Southern Arkansas gives Philander Smith College a return trip Thursday at Little Rock in a 7 p.m. tip-off. The Muleriders prevailed over PSC, 65-57, in Magnolia in their season opener November 15.