Lady Muleriders’ Hobbs Honored on All-Region Team
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas center Kmaria Hobbs (5-11, So., Clarksville, Texas) has been named a second team selection on the 2009-10 Daktronics women’s basketball All-South Region team that was released Wednesday.
Hobbs led the Gulf South Conference in scoring during the regular 
season and was 10th nationally at 20.7 points per game, and also ranked fourth in the conference in minutes played (32.8) and ninth in both rebounds (6.5) and free throw percentage (.774). She shot 49.2 percent (192-390) from the floor this season, dished out 25 assists, blocked 10 shots and had 31 steals.
Hobbs’ 538 total points scored this year put her in elite company, joining only five other former Lady Muleriders to ever break the 500-point barrier, and is the fifth-highest point total in a season at SAU and the highest season total in 16 years. Combined with her freshman season she now has 897 career points to rank 19th on the all-time Southern Arkansas career scoring list.
During the season Hobbs scored a career-high 32 points in an 80-78 overtime loss at home to Ouachita Baptist, set both school single-game (16) and season (151) free throw records and was named to the West Florida Holiday Classic All-Tournament team.
Fellow GSC West Division members Delta State (Miss.) and Arkansas Tech placed two players each on the Daktronics team, with the No. 8 ranked Lady Statesmen landing both on the first team in sophomore center Veronica Walker and junior guard Sarita “Bug” Cooper. This year’s conference champions and No. 4 Golden Suns are represented by junior guard Jenny Vining on the first team and sophomore forward Natalia Santos on the second squad. Barry (Fla.) senior forward Mariesa Greene was voted as the South Region player of the year.
SAU’s Hobbs an All-GSC Selection
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas center Kmaria Hobbs (5-11, So., Clarksville, Texas) has been named a first team selection on the 2009-10 All-Gulf South Conference basketball team that was released Tuesday by the conference office.
Hobbs earns her first spot on the team in only her sophomore season. She leads the league in scoring and is currently 10th nationally at 20.7 points per game, and also ranks fourth in the conference in minutes played (32.8) and ninth in both rebounds (6.5) and free throw percentage (.774). Hobbs shot 49.2 percent (192-390) from the floor this season, dished out 25 assists, blocked 10 shots and had 31 steals.
Hobbs’ 538 total points on the year puts her in elite company, joining only five other former Lady Muleriders to ever break the 500-point barrier, and is the fifth-highest point total in a season at SAU and the highest season total in 16 years. Combined with her freshman season she now has 897 career points to rank 19th on the all-time Southern Arkansas scoring list.
During the season Hobbs scored a career-high 32 points in an 80-78 overtime loss at home to Ouachita Baptist, set both school single-game (16) and season (151) free throw records and was named to the West Florida Holiday Classic All-Tournament team.
Southern Arkansas falls to UAM in Biley’s Finale
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Arkansas-Monticello jumped out to a 13-0 lead and never looked back as they rolled on to a 70-55 win over Southern Arkansas Saturday at the W.T. Watson Athletic Center. The game was Lady Mulerider Head Coach Sam Biley’s final time on the sideline, 
retiring from coaching after 15 years as head of the women’s program.
Chelsea Johnson’s three-pointer at 17:16 gave the Cotton Blossoms the 13-0 lead and they eventually built a 36-13 margin with 48 seconds left in the first half. SAU sophomore center Shenelda Levingston (El Dorado) hit one of two free throws for the halftime score of 36-14.
UAM continued the onslaught in the second frame, holding a 50-23 advantage at 14:03. Southern Arkansas managed to close out the final 2:24 of the game with an 8-0 run for the final 15-point margin.
Arkansas-Monticello was 25 of 54 from the floor for 46.3 percent, including 4 of 15 (26.7) from beyond the arc, and hit 16 of 26 (61.5) free throws. The Lady Muleriders were just 18 of 55 (32.7) overall, and 2 of 19 (10.5) on treys, but knocked down 17 of 20 (85.0) from the foul stripe, including 10 of 10 from sophomore center Kmaria Hobbs (Clarksville, Texas).
The Cotton Blossoms used a 39-33 rebound advantage to outscore SAU 40-24 inside. The two teams combined for 45 turnovers, UAM with 24 and Southern Arkansas 21.
Hobbs led all scorers with 20 points, which places her 19th on the 
all-time SAU scoring list with 897 in her two years.
Freshman forward Raven Jones (Fordyce) posted a double-double for the Lady Muleriders, recording 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Yelitza Rivera led Arkansas-Monticello with 16 points, Johnson had 14, and Erica Williams finished with 10 and six boards. Monica Perkins-Miller and Jerica Hubard also pulled down six rebounds apiece.
Biley completes a 30-year coaching career at Southern Arkansas after also serving as long-time men’s assistant to former head coach Monroe Ingram from 1980-1995. He then took over the reins of the women’s team for another 15 years. Biley led the Lady Muleriders to four Gulf South Conference tournament appearances and was named the league’s coach of the year in 2003.
Biley was an all-district and all-conference player in the final two seasons of his four-year career (1973-77) for the Muleriders.
SAU assistant coach Carrie Slaton will assume the head coach’s position.
Lady Muleriders Dropped by Lady Buccaneers in OT
By: Houston Taylor
MEMPHIS – Only three points were scored in overtime and they were all Christian Brothers’ as they held off Southern Arkansas 64-61 in the extra period Saturday at Canale Arena. It was the Lady Muleriders’ fourth straight loss and 10th in their past 11 games.
Both teams were brutal from the floor in overtime, with the Lady Buccaneers missing all three of their attempts, but hit 3 of 6 free throws for the win. SAU missed all seven of their shots and also had three turnovers.
Southern Arkansas fell into the same old trap they’ve suffered all season, watching a big lead disappear in the second half. They held an 18-point margin of 43-25 at the half, but CBU had whittled it down to single digits at 55-46 with 10:22 left in the game. Junior guard Keysha Hill (Hot Springs) put the Lady Muleriders back up by 11 just seconds later, but Christian Brothers rattled off a 15-4 run over the final 10 minutes to send it to overtime.
SAU bolted out of the gate, with junior forward Cha’Kia Lee’s (Springhill, La.) jumper at 18:13 giving them an 11-0 start to the game.
Southern Arkansas shot only 24 percent in the second half, hitting just 8 of 33, after connecting on 50 percent (16-32) in the first frame. They finished 24 of 72 (33.3) for the game, and had only nine free throw attempts, but canned them all.
The Lady Buccaneers hit 25 of 54 (46.3) for the game, behind 15 of 26 in the second half, and were 12 of 28 (42.9) at the foul line.
Sophomore center Kmaria Hobbs (Clarksville, Texas) led all scorers with 27 points for the Lady Muleriders, including hitting all five of her freebies. Her scoring pushed her to 20th on the all-time SAU scoring list, totaling 877 points so far in only her second season. Hobbs also pulled down eight rebounds in the contest, blocked a shot and had six steals.
Lee finished with 10 points and seven boards, and freshman forward Raven Jones (Fordyce) also grabbed eight rebounds.
CBU had only five players in the scoring column, with Tameka Wooten collecting 19 points, Sheena DeBose scoring 17 and Normanique Johnson tallying 16. Jasmine Ellis finished with a game-high 14 rebounds.
Southern Arkansas wraps up their season Saturday, hosting Arkansas-Monticello in a 5:30 p.m. tip-off. The game will mark the end of a long journey for Lady Mulerider head coach Sam Biley, who’s leaving the sideline after 30 years to retire from coaching. Biley served 15 years as the right-hand man for former men’s coach Monroe Ingram, before taking the helm of the women’s program in 1995 for another 15 seasons.
OBU Women Top SAU in High-Scoring Affair
By: Houston Taylor
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Domino Miller and Gabby Coleman combined for 54 points in leading Ouachita Baptist past Southern Arkansas 91-85 at Bill Vining Arena Saturday.
Miller knocked down five three-pointers en route to a game-high 28 points, while Coleman had seven free throws in scoring 26.
The Lady Tigers (12-13, 4-8 GSC) never trailed in the contest, however it was tied three times early in the first half. They built 12-point margins in each of the two frames, but the Lady Muleriders (7-17, 2-10 GSC), behind 58 percent shooting (28-48), kept whittling away at the deficit.
Coleman’s lay-up gave OBU a 77-65 advantage with 7:53 left in the game. SAU, behind 10 points from sophomore center Kmaria Hobbs (Clarksville, Texas), then went on an 18-8 run to narrow it to 85-83 with 1:38 left. But Miller canned four free throws down the stretch to finish it off for Ouachita Baptist, as Southern Arkansas had only one shot attempt the rest of the way.
The Lady Tigers also held a 12-point edge at 37-25 with five minutes left in the first half, and the Lady Muleriders again used an 18-8 spree to pull within 45-43 at 16 ticks. Miller’s lay-up in the closing seconds gave OBU a 47-43 advantage at the break.
SAU had a hot hand throughout, with 7 of 13 (53.8) beyond the arc as part of their 28 of 48 from the floor, and also knocked down 22 of 28 (78.6) free throws. But their inability to handle the ball caused their downfall as they committed 22 turnovers that Ouachita Baptist converted into 26 points, while the Lady Tigers turned it over 12 times.
Because of the miscues, Southern Arkansas didn’t get as many shot attempts compared to the Lady Tigers getting off 65 total shots, hitting 31 for 47.7 percent. They canned 11 of 25 (44.0) treys and hit 18 of 25 (72.0) from the foul line.
OBU also limited Hobbs’ touches, as she had only eight shots, hitting five and converting 6 of 6 at the line for 16 points, well below her league-leading 20.7 per game. Hobbs had a career-high 32 points in the Lady Muleriders’ 80-78 overtime loss to Ouachita Baptist January 23 in Magnolia.
Junior forward Cha’Kia Lee (Springhill, La.) picked up the slack for SAU, leading five players in double-figure scoring with 19 points. Freshman forward Raven Jones (Fordyce) and sophomore center Shenelda Levingston (El Dorado) added 13 and 11 points off the bench, respectively, and senior guard Lynzi Williams (Martin’s Mill, Texas) had 12. Hobbs had a game-high seven rebounds.
The Lady Tigers also got 14 points from Beulah Osueke, and Melissa Richardson finished with five boards.
Southern Arkansas travels Thursday for a 5 p.m. game at Christian Brothers before closing out the season next Saturday at home with Arkansas-Monticello.
Southern Arkansas no Match for No. 12 Delta State
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas women’s basketball team stayed with No. 12 Delta State for the first 10 minutes of the game, but the Lady Statesmen (20-2, 9-2 GSC) rolled on from there with an easy 71-43 win Thursday at the W.T. Watson Athletic Center. It was Delta State’s eighth consecutive win in the series with the Lady Muleriders (7-16, 2-9 GSC).
The Lady Statesmen shot 50 percent (32-64) for the game, held a 47-27 rebound advantage, scored 16 points off 11 Lady Mulerider turnovers, and outscored SAU 46-22 inside the paint. Delta is third nationally in holding opponents to just 51.6 points per game, and frustrated Southern Arkansas into shooting only 30 percent (15-50) in the contest. The Lady Muleriders were held to just 14 first-half points with the Lady Statesmen taking a 31-14 margin.
Veronica Walker led the Delta State charge, posting a double-double with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Bug Cooper added 11 points and tossed out seven assists.
Sophomore center Kmaria Hobbs (Clarksville, Texas) dropped in a lay-up to pull SAU to within 11-9 at 9:34 in the first half, but the Lady Statesmen then closed out the frame with a 20-5 run.
Southern Arkansas was never closer than 15 points in the second half, as Delta eventually recorded a 29-point lead at 69-40 with 33 ticks left before settling for the final margin.
Hobbs scored 21 points to lead the Lady Muleriders, connecting on 7 of 10 free throws. No other SAU player finished in double-figures. Sophomore center Shenelda Levingston (El Dorado) had six points. Hobbs, Levingston, freshman forward Raven Jones (Fordyce) and junior forward Cha’Kia Lee (Springhill, La.) all pulled down four rebounds apiece.
Southern Arkansas travels Saturday to face Ouachita Baptist in a 3 p.m. tip-off.
Game gets away from Lady Muleriders at Harding
By: Houston Taylor
SEARCY, Ark. – Southern Arkansas let a 14-point second half lead get away as Harding used a 23-point turnaround for a 72-63 win Monday at Rhodes Field House. Playing outside the normal Thursday-Saturday Gulf South Conference schedule rotation, the game was made up from Thursday’s postponement due to the winter weather.
The Lady Muleriders (7-15, 2-8 GSC) orchestrated a turnaround of their own, making a 21-point swing in trailing by seven in the first half for the 14 point advantage in the second frame. They were eventually up 59-45 with 8:55 left in the game. But it took all of just five minutes for that to disappear as the Lady Bisons (12-10, 5-5 GSC) used an 18-2 run for a 63-61 margin with 4:05 left. SAU then got two free throws from sophomore center Kmaria Hobbs (Clarksville, Texas), but that was it for Southern Arkansas as Harding completed the game in outscoring the Lady Muleriders 27-4 in those final nine minutes.
After holding a 30-28 edge at the break, SAU came out on fire in the second half, hitting 12 of their first 17 shots through the first 11 minutes, including four three-pointers, three from junior forward Cha’Kia Lee (Springhill, La.). But as quick as it came, it left, and the Lady Bisons blistered the nets the remaining nine minutes, shooting 8 for 12 from the floor and 10 of 13 at the foul stripe.
Southern Arkansas finished 23 of 54 in the game for 42.6 percent, with 7 of 22 beyond the arc, but missed their last seven. They were 10 of 13 (76.9) at the free throw line. Harding was 26 of 58 (44.8), 4 of 12, and 16 of 26 (61.5) on freebies.
The Lady Bisons’ Bailey St. Clair led all scorers with 20 points and had six rebounds and five steals. Sierra Rollins added 19 points and six boards, and Stacey Owens chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds.
Hobbs and Lee scored 16 apiece to lead the Lady Muleriders, with Hobbs hitting 6 of 7 free throws and Lee knocking down four treys. Freshman forward Raven Jones (Fordyce) had 12 points and a game-high nine boards.
Harding committed just nine turnovers while forcing 22 from SAU that they converted into 23 points. They outscored Southern Arkansas 40-24 inside.
The Lady Muleriders return home Thursday, hosting No. 12 Delta State in a 5:30 p.m. tip-off.
