Southern Arkansas Winless in Florida
By: Houston Taylor
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Southern Arkansas (5-6) suffered its second loss in as many days, closing out play in the West Florida Holiday Classic Wednesday with a 64-60 loss to West Alabama (3-10) at the West Florida Field House. The Lady Muleriders dropped a 66-58 decision to the host Argonauts Tuesday.
Facing a second half deficit of 16 points, SAU staged a furious rally, but fell just short at the end. The Tigers took a 41-25 advantage at 17:49 on Latashia Greer’s jumper, but Southern Arkansas used a 22-9 run to pull within 50-47 at 7:40 on sophomore center Kmaria Hobbs’ (Clarksville, Texas) lay-up. Both clubs traded jabs over the next few minutes until sophomore center Shenelda Levingston (El Dorado) got an old-fashioned three-point play on a lay-up and free throw to get the Lady Muleriders within 57-56 at 1:20. SAU then had to resort to the foul game and UWA capitalized, canning 7 of 8 down the stretch to secure the win.
Southern Arkansas led only twice in the contest, early and midway the first stanza, as West Alabama eventually built a 35-21 halftime advantage.
Hobbs had another big game for the Lady Muleriders with a team-high 26 points, pulling down six rebounds and snaring a game-high six steals en route to being named to the all-tournament team.
Greer, also named to the classic’s all-tournament team, posted a double-double with a game-high 29 points and grabbing 10 boards in leading the Tigers. Kieara Middleton chipped in 10 points.
SAU was 25 of 60 (41.7 percent) from the field, including 3 of 16 (18.8) treys, and went 7 of 13 (53.8) at the free throw line. UWA finished 24 of 50 (48.0), 5 of 14 (35.7), and 11 of 19 (57.9). Southern Arkansas held a 37-33 rebound advantage, and both teams committed 18 turnovers apiece.
Levingston added a double of her own, recording 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Junior forward Cha’Kia Lee (Springhill, La.) added 10 points for the Lady Muleriders. Sidelined since the beginning of the season with an injury, senior guard Lynzi Williams (Martin’s Mill, Texas) saw her first action of the year. Shaking off the rust, she didn’t score in missing all three of her shots and two free throws, but had a team-high five assists, and one rebound and steal in 24 minutes of play.
West Florida’s Tiffany Williams was named the classic’s MVP.
SAU wraps up a six-game stretch against Gulf South Conference East Division members Monday when they return to Magnolia to host North Alabama at 5:30 p.m. The men battle the Lions at approximately 7:30 p.m.
Lady Muleriders Suffer Second Half Meltdown versus Argonauts
By: Houston Taylor, SID
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Southern Arkansas watched a second half 13-point lead disappear as host West Florida rallied for a 66-58 win Tuesday in the West Florida Holiday Classic at the UWF Field House.
Sophomore center Kmaria Hobbs (Clarksville, Texas) gave the Lady Muleriders (5-5) a seemingly comfortable 41-28 margin with two free throws at the 17:29 mark in the second half, but seven minutes later the Argonauts (8-4) completed a 21-8 run on Janay McCray’s jumper to even it at 49-49 at 10:42. The teams then exchanged leads over the next five minutes before Hobbs again canned two freebies for a 58-57 SAU edge at 5:22. Southern Arkansas wouldn’t score again as West Florida scored nine unanswered the rest of the way to secure the win.
The Lady Muleriders didn’t get off but four shots in the last five minutes of the game, missing all, and also suffered four turnovers. Their final field goal of the game came at the seven-minute mark, a three-pointer from junior forward Cha’Kia Lee (Springhill, La.) that gave SAU a 56-55 advantage at the time.
Southern Arkansas also held a 13-point lead in the first half after trailing early, using an 18-5 run over a nine-minute span that broke a 12-12 tie for a 30-17 margin at 3:55. The Argonauts managed to cut that to a six-point game before trailing 35-26 at the half.
Hobbs continued her steady success, recording a game-high 19 points and grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. She was only 5 of 14 from the floor, including knocking down her only trey, but was perfect in eight attempts at the free throw line. Hobbs also dished out two assists and had one steal in 34 minutes of play.
The Lady Muleriders hit just 20 of 62 (32.3 percent) from the field, including 4 of 16 (25.0) from downtown, but hit 14 of 17 (82.4) at the charity stripe. UWF managed 27 of 64 (42.2), 2 of 15 (13.3), and 10 of 11 (90.9).
West Florida held a narrow 42-40 rebound advantage, but outscored SAU 36-14 inside. Southern Arkansas suffered 11 turnovers, with four of those coming in the crucial last five minutes of play, while the Argonauts had 10.
Sophomore center Shenelda Levingston (El Dorado) added 11 points for the Lady Muleriders, and Lee finished with 10.
Amy Drake paced UWF with 18 points and a game-high eight assists. Tiffany Williams chipped in 13 points, and Dominique Boykins pulled down a game-high nine boards.
SAU continues play in the classic Wednesday at noon, meeting West Alabama for the second time this season. Southern Arkansas pulled out a 57-55 win over the Tigers December 21 in Livingston, Ala.
SAU Men’s Rally Falls Short at West Alabama
By: Houston Taylor
LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Southern Arkansas’ furious second half rally fell just short as West Alabama (8-4) hung on to hand the Muleriders (5-7) their fifth consecutive loss in a 73-70 decision Monday at Pruitt Hall.
The Tigers held a 54-39 advantage at 13:48 and were up 69-55 at 5:28 when SAU began its comeback. Southern Arkansas outscored UWA 15-4 from that point on, but couldn’t get the final shot to fall as junior guard David Noble’s (Mansfield, Texas) three-pointer was off the mark in the final second. Senior forward Sanchez Dade (El Dorado) scored 11 of his team-high 17 points during the span.
The Muleriders jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the game, but couldn’t hold it as West Alabama responded for a 38-31 advantage at the half.
SAU shot well, hitting 30 of 51 for a season second-best of 58.8 percent, but lost the battle at the free throw line, getting only five attempts and converting three. They were whistled for 22 fouls in the contest to 11 for the Tigers. UWA got 23 trips to the charity stripe, connecting on 12.
West Alabama finished 27 of 56 (48.2) from the floor, including 7 of 19 (36.8) treys, while Southern Arkansas hit 7 of 20 (35.0 percent) from beyond the arc.
The Muleriders trailed 30-28 in rebounds and coughed up 17 turnovers that the Tigers converted into 15 points.
Dade was 7 of 10 shooting, hitting 2 of 4 from downtown, but just 1 of 3 on free throws. He also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and had two steals in 26 minutes of play. Noble finished with 14 points, and sophomore forward Casey Cheshier (Frisco, Texas) chipped in 12 points off the bench. Senior guard Tony James (Bossier City, La.) dished out a game-high six assists.
UWA’s Jason Swanson led all players with a double-double, getting game-highs with 18 points and 10 boards. Trevell Coleman added 16 points, Alquan Mendenhall had 13 and Richard Sirju tossed in 11.
SAU gets a two week break for the holidays before returning to action January 4 when they host North Alabama.
SAU Squeaks by West Alabama, 57-55
By: Houston Taylor
LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Sophomore center Kmaria Hobbs (Clarksville, Texas) posted her second double-double and eighth double-figure scoring game of the season in leading Southern Arkansas (5-4) past West Alabama (2-9) 57-55 Monday at Pruitt Hall.
Hobbs scored the Lady Muleriders’ final four points of the game, canning two free throws to break a 53-53 tie with 40 seconds left, and then after the Lady Tigers’ Latashia Greer knotted it back up, hit the game-winning jumper with two ticks remaining.
Hobbs recorded a game-high 18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, and also added two steals and blocked a shot in 31 minutes of play. She was 7 of 18 from the floor and hit all four of her free throws.
SAU held a 34-27 advantage off sophomore center Shenelda Levingston’s (El Dorado) jumper at 18:50 in the second frame, but UWA bounced back for a 41-40 lead on Greer’s jumper at 12:33. West Alabama eventually went up three, but Levingston’s jumper put Southern Arkansas back on top at 6:53, and besides four ties, the Lady Muleriders never trailed again.
SAU held an early 11-6 lead in the game, but the Tigers rallied past that for a 25-16 edge at 6:50. Southern Arkansas then rattled off a 14-2 run to close out the first half for a 30-27 advantage.
The Lady Muleriders shot just 23 of 60 for 38.3 percent in the game, but UWA was worse, hitting 22 of 64 (34.4). SAU was 3 of 15 from beyond the arc and perfect on eight freebies, while West Alabama got only 1 of 11 treys and was 10 of 18 at the stripe.
Levingston was the only other Southern Arkansas player to score in double-digits with 14. Junior forward Cha’Kia Lee (Springhill, La.) had game-highs with 12 boards and five assists.
Greer paced the Tigers with her own double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Keiara Middleton added 16 points, and Qweeta Ward finished with 10 and nine boards.
The Lady Muleriders will break for the Christmas holiday before traveling December 29-30 to participate in the West Florida Holiday Classic in Pensacola. They face their hosts that Tuesday at 2 p.m., before a re-match with West Alabama on Wednesday at noon.
Muleriders can’t find Answer for West Georgia
By: Houston Taylor
CARROLLTON, Ga. – Southern Arkansas couldn’t overcome a 16-point second half deficit as West Georgia (5-5) handed the Muleriders (5-6) their fourth consecutive loss in a 67-60 decision Saturday at the Coliseum.
Trailing 57-46 with 6:04 left in the game, SAU scored eight unanswered points to pull within three on junior forward Justin Stuart’s (Hope) lay-up and free throw off a foul at 4:43. Junior guard Channin Harden (Marianna) started the spree with two freebies and sophomore guard Chase Spruiell (Princeton, Texas) knocked down a three-pointer in the span. But the Wolves responded and moved backed to an 11-point lead (67-56) with 23 ticks left before settling for the final margin.
Southern Arkansas held an early 11-6 advantage in the game before UWG rallied and held a 36-28 lead at the break.
The Muleriders were 24 of 58 (41.4 percent) from the floor and West Georgia 24 of 55 (43.6), but the Wolves knocked down 7 of 14 from beyond the arc, while SAU hit 5 of 15. UWG went to the free throw line 21 times and only hit 12, but that was five more than Southern Arkansas’ 7 of 12. Each club pulled down 36 rebounds.
Spruiell led all scorers with 19 points, hitting 4 of 9 treys. Stuart added 16 points and had eight rebounds, while Harden chipped in 10 and nine. Senior forward Sanchez Dade (El Dorado) didn’t score, but tossed out six assists.
Vojin Svilar paced West Georgia with 15 points, John Pringle contributed 13 and nine boards, Justin Cummings had 12 points, and Julian Jones grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
The Muleriders face West Alabama in Livingston Monday in a 4 p.m. tip-off.
Southern Arkansas falls short at West Georgia
By: Houston Taylor
CARROLLTON, Ga. – Junior forward Cha’Kia Lee’s (Springhill, La.) three-pointer was off in the final seconds as Southern Arkansas (4-4) fell just short in a 58-55 loss to West Georgia (5-7) Saturday at the Coliseum.
Following the 10th tie in the contest, sophomore guard Shanece Black’s (Clarksville, Texas) trey put the Lady Muleriders up 52-49 with 2:18 left. But the Wolves got consecutive baskets from Charlease Williams to take the lead for good at 53-52 with 1:26 remaining and held a 56-52 margin with 18 ticks left. Junior forward Kristy Shinn (Lonoke) then popped a three to pull SAU within one, but two free throws from Whitley Mayberry sealed it for West Georgia as Lee’s trey was off the mark at the end.
Southern Arkansas built a seven-point lead in the first half before the Wolves erased that and led 27-26 at the break.
UWG hit 25 of 49 from the floor for 51 percent, while the Lady Muleriders finished 20 of 51 (39.2). SAU got beat up inside, with a 38-23 rebound deficit and being outscored 32-8 in the paint.
Lee led all scorers with 16 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Shinn had her best output of the season with 14 points. Southern Arkansas’ leading scorer, sophomore center Kmaria Hobbs (Clarksville, Texas) ran into foul trouble and was limited to just 26 minutes, finishing with eight points and three rebounds.
Williams led West Georgia with 14 points, Mayberry had 13, and Anelia Murray scored 10 and had eight boards.
The Lady Muleriders face their third consecutive Gulf South Conference East Division opponent Monday when they travel to Livingston, Ala., for a 2 p.m. tip-off against West Alabama.
Free Throws, Turnovers, No Treys Limit Southern Arkansas
By: Houston Taylor
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – A lackluster night at the free throw line, 23 turnovers, and not a single three-pointer did in Southern Arkansas as the Muleriders (5-5) were handed a 54-48 defeat by William Carey Tuesday at Clinton Gymnasium. It was SAU’s second loss this season to the Crusaders (7-1).
Besides the free throws, Southern Arkansas came up empty on six attempts beyond the arc. The last time a Mulerider team didn’t hit a three-pointer in a game was February 4, 1995 in a 95-57 win over Williams Baptist in Walnut Ridge. Those 95 points were a surprisingly high point total without a trey, as SAU had 37 two-point field goals and 21 free throws.
Against William Carey, Southern Arkansas clanked just 10 of 23 free throws for 43.5 percent, most misses coming on a first attempt. The game saw eight ties and 10 lead changes, with neither team wanting to win it on freebies, as the Crusaders were also horrible at the line, hitting only 11 of 26 (42.3).
Six-point leads were the most by either club, with the Muleriders holding them twice early in the second half following a 22-19 advantage at the break. But Chris Cyprian nailed the first of two consecutive three-pointers with 8:05 left to give William Carey the lead for good at 41-39. SAU drew within 48-47 on junior Justin Stuart’s (Hope) jumper at 2:10, but the Crusaders held on for the win.
Neither team shot well period Tuesday, William Carey hitting 20 of 51 overall (39.2), including only 3 of 11 (27.3) on treys. Southern Arkansas finished 19 of 50 (38.0) for the game.
The Muleriders did collect a 38-34 rebound advantage, but the Crusaders recorded 26 points off SAU’s 23 turnovers.
Sophomore guard Chase Spruiell (Princeton, Texas) was a bright spot for Southern Arkansas, sharing game-high honors with 17 points. He added six rebounds, two assists, one steal and a blocked shot, all in 33 minutes off the bench.
Stuart scored 12 points, senior guard Tony James (Bossier City, La.) chipped in 10, and sophomore center Reggie Rasmus (Missouri City, Texas) pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.
William Carey got 17 points from Marcus Spann and 14 from Cyprian. Cory Smith had seven boards.
The Muleriders close out December with two more games on the road, traveling Saturday to Carrollton, Ga. for a 2:30 p.m. tip-off with West Georgia, and then facing West Alabama Monday at 4 p.m. in Livingston.
