Contact: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Arkansas Tech’s long-range shooting carried it to an 89-72 win over Southern Arkansas in Great American Conference action Saturday at the W.T. Watson Athletic Center.
The Wonder Boys (14-4, 6-2 GAC) shot 56 percent from beyond the arc in hitting 14 of 25 three-pointers, getting almost half their total points (42) from downtown. The Muleriders (11-9, 4-4 GAC) attempted only 10, hitting two.
Junior guard Jeremy Hoard canned 7 of 8 treys in scoring a game-high 23 points for ATU. Senior guard Mykel Cleveland and junior guard Jared Williamson added 14 points apiece, Williamson getting one trey. Senior guards Matt Haney and Johnie Davis each hit three three-pointers, Haney scoring 13 points, and Davis finishing with 11.
SAU was led by junior guard Chris Davis (North Little Rock) with 16 points. Senior forward Chase Spruiell (Princeton, Texas) scored 12 points and pulled down a game-high eight rebounds. Junior guard Rodney Hill (Shreveport, La.), who had one of Southern Arkansas’ three’s, had 11 points, and sophomore guard Teviin Morris (Midland, Texas) came off the bench to score 10 points.
Despite its long-range gunning, Tech had to come up with a second half charge at the midway point to put the game away, using a 14-4 run over a four-minute span. The Muleriders had come back from a 44-35 deficit at the half, pulling to within 53-52 on one of two free throws from Morris at 12:25. Hoard knocked down two treys in the run and the Wonder Boys shot out to a 67-56 margin at 8:22.
SAU was never closer than a 67-60 game after that though, as ATU 
eventually built a 19-point lead of 89-70, before Davis’ lay-up provided the final margin.
Arkansas Tech shot 54.5 percent for the game on 30 of 55, hitting 16 of 30 two-point baskets. They were 15 of 17 (88.2 percent) at the foul line.
Southern Arkansas shot a respectable 51.7 percent on 31 of 60 from the field, and was 8 of 14 (57.1 percent) on free throws.
Despite a narrow 29-28 rebound margin for the Wonder Boys, the Muleriders dominated inside with a 50-28 scoring edge, but it wasn’t enough to make up for ATU’s three-point onslaught. They played about even on turnovers, SAU committing 18 to Tech’s 17.
The game was the halfway point for the conference season. Southern Arkansas starts the second half Thursday in Durant, Okla., with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off against Southeastern Oklahoma State. The Muleriders beat the Savage Storm 69-66 in Magnolia earlier this month.
Photos by Mike Jones
