Box Score

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – A regulation 40 minutes was not enough to decide the year's first Great American Conference game for both the Southern Arkansas and Northwestern Oklahoma basketball teams as overtime was needed on Thursday night in the W.T. Watson Center. It would not be the Muleriders who would come out victorious, however, as the Rangers outlasted SAU to pick up a 70-66 win.
 
The entirety of the game would be played close as there were a total of five tie scores and seven lead changes. Additionally, the largest lead for either team at any point in the game was eight points. The eight-point lead was taken by the visiting Rangers (2-2, 1-0 GAC) with 6:49 remaining in the first half as T'aries Taylor knocked down a three-pointer, making the score 26-18.
 
Over the next five minutes of play, the Muleriders (2-2, 0-1 GAC) would slowly chip away at the Rangers lead, eventually closing to within a bucket with under a minute and a half to play. With 1:02 left in the opening half, the Muleriders grabbed their first lead since the 14:24 mark of the first half, as Quintin Lee buried a three-pointer, making the score 32-31 in favor of SAU. The Muleriders would go on to take a slim two-point lead into the break, 34-32.
 
The Muleriders would lead for much of the second half, but weren't able to build a lead any larger than six points as the Rangers hung around. One reason for the Muleriders not being able to build on their second half lead was their struggles at the free throw line. After shooting 42% (5-of-12) from the free throw line in the first half, the Muleriders improved slightly as they shot 50% (10-of-20) in the second half.
 
The inconsistent free throw shooting eventually caught up to the Muleriders as the Rangers tied the game at 57-all with 3:06 left in the second half. After neither team scored over the next minute and half, the Rangers grabbed their first lead since late in the first half as Bryce Lane connected on a three-pointer, giving NWOSU a 60-57 lead with 1:18 to go.
 
About a minute later, SAU's Tyrell Taylor made a pair of clutch free throws to knot the game at 62-all. The Rangers would have the final shot of the game, but Brandon Wooley could not deliver the game-winner as time expired, sending the game into overtime.
 
Last season, the Muleriders played in five overtime games, going 3-2.
 
Thursday night looked like the Muleriders were going to make it 1-0 in 2013-14 as the extra period started off with a bang. The thunder was bought by Alre'k Brown as he flushed home a dunk in transition following his own block on the other end of the court. On the Rangers' next possession, Brown swatted away his seventh shot of the game, but was whistled for a technical foul afterwards. The tech was an untimely one as it slapped Brown with his fifth personal foul of the game, fouling him out.
 
The Rangers would make good on only one of the technical free throws, keeping the Muleriders' lead intact. With 3:37 left in the overtime period, however, NWOSU's Laakeem Henderson put the Rangers up as he tipped in a missed shot by Wooley. The Rangers would not relinquish that lead as they kept the Muleriders at bay to come away with the 70-66 overtime win.
 
Offensively, the Muleriders would shot their lowest percentage from the floor as they shot 37% for the game. While their inside shots were not falling, the Muleriders were successful from long range, however, as they shot 58%, making 7-of-12.
Lee, who made four of the Muleriders' seven three-pointers ended with 18 points. Matching Lee in scoring was Jeffrey Walker. Brown would round out double-figure scoring with 10 points.
 
The Muleriders will look to bounce back in a couple of days as they will play host to Southwestern Oklahoma on Saturday, November 23. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 4 p.m.