Southern Arkansas Muleriders (5-6, 2-4 GAC)
at Harding BISONS (7-6, 4-3 GAC) Thursday, January 16 @ 7:30 p.m Searcy, Ark. (Rhodes Field House) Live Audio (SAU Feed) | Live Stats | Live Video (HU Feed)	vs. Arkansas Tech WONDER BOYS (9-5, 4-2 GAC) Saturday, January 18 @ 4 p.m Magnolia, Ark. (W.T. Watson Center) Live Audio (SAU Feed) | Live Stats | Live Video (SAU Feed)

GAME NOTES (PDF) 

Setting the Stage
The Muleriders are set to play a pair of pivotal conference games over the week as they will travel to Searcy, Ark. to take on the Harding Bisons on Thursday, January 16 and then return home to play host to Arkansas Tech on Saturday, January 18.
 
This will be the first meetings of the year for SAU against both teams. Last season, the Muleriders lost all five games combined against the Bisons (0-3) and Wonder Boys (0-2).
 
The Coaches
Southern Arkansas is led by second-year head coach Andy Sharpe. In his first season at the helm, Sharpe led the Muleriders to the Great American Conference Tournament. A NAIA National Coach of the Year prior to coming to SAU, Sharpe brings a wealth of successful coaching experience to the Mulerider basketball program.
 
Harding is coached by Jeff Morgan. Now in his 21st season, Morgan has compiled a career record of 366-232 and is 349-222 at Harding. Five times Morgan has guided his team to 20 or more wins in a season and twice they have been regular season champions. This year, Morgan has guided his team to a 7-6 overall record and a 4-3 mark in the GAC.
 
Arkansas Tech is coached by Doug Karleskint. Now in his fourth season, Karleskint has amassed a career record of 69-24 and has led the Wonder Boys to the NCAA Tournament in each of his three seasons at the helm. This season, Karleskint has led Tech to a 9-5 overall record and a 4-2 mark in the GAC.
 
Last Time Out
The Muleriders are coming off of 70-84 loss on the road to Southern Nazarene. In that game, SAU held a four-point lead heading into halftime, but a strong second half surge by Southern Nazarene propelled the Crimson Storm past the Muleriders.
 
Four Muleriders ended in double figures with Nemo Sanchez leading the way with 15 points off the bench. All of Sanchez's points were accounted for beyond the arc as he was 5-of-9 from three-point territory. Behind Sanchez in scoring was Jeffrey Walker as he scored 13 points. Brown and Chauncy Williams were next with 11 points each.
 
As a team, the Muleriders shot 46% (25-of-57) overall from the floor while the Crimson Storm shot 51% (24-of-47). A glaring statistical edge that favored the SNU came from the beyond the arc as the Crimson Storm knocked down 13-of-27 (48%) three-pointers compared to the Muleriders' 7-of-20 (35%).
 
Last Time vs. Harding (March 8, 2013)
These two teams last met in the opening round of the 2013 Great American Conference Tournament. It was the third meeting between the two last year, but was the lone game to not need overtime. In the previous two regular season meetings, the Muleriders and Bisons battled to overtime, with the Bisons coming out on top each time.
 
Without overtime being needed in the most recent game, the result was the same as the Bisons ended the Muleriders' 2012-13 season with a 62-43 win, advancing them to the next round of the GAC Tournament.
 
Last Time vs. Arkansas Tech (February  24, 2013)
The last time Southern Arkansas took on Arkansas Tech, senior guard Chris Davis scored a season-high 22 points and the Muleriders shot 50% for the game, but both efforts were not enough as the Wonder Boys edged SAU by a score of 69-65.
 
Checking the Standings
Southern Arkansas enters this weekend's action tied for sixth-place in the GAC, but stands to be in a tie for the No. 5 seed in the tournament should the season end today. At 2-4 in the GAC, the Muleriders are two games out of second place in the conference standings.
 
Harding enters play this weekend with a 4-3 mark in the GAC and are currently in fifth-place, but stand to be the No. 4 seed in the tournament should the season end today. At 4-3, the Bisons are one game back in the win column for first-place.
 
Arkansas Tech enters play this weekend with a 4-2 record in the GAC and is currently in a tie for third-place, but stands to be in a tie for the No. 2 seed in the tournament if the season were to end today.
 
Starting from the Bottom
Despite making the conference tournament as the no. 8 seed a year ago, the 2013-14 SAU men's basketball team was tabbed to finish 11th out of 11 in the GAC preseason coach's poll. Eight talented newcomers and lone returner Duke Reed will figure to have something to say about where they actually finish the season.
 
What Can Brown Do For You?!
So far this season, Alre'k Brown has shown that he can do just about everything for the Mulerider basketball team. Brown currently leads the team in FG % (.691) and blocked shots/per game (32/2.9).  Brown is also close to being team leader in rebounds/per game (85/7.7). In those same categories, Brown ranks first in the GAC in blocks/per game and FG %, while ranking 4^th in rebounds.
 
Nemo For Three-Mo
Junior guard Nemo Sanchez has proved to be the Muleriders' top three-point threat so far this season as he has buried a team-leading 30 trifectas. His 30 made three-pointers are 2nd in the GAC. On the year, Sanchez had made at least one three-pointer in nine of 11 games played this season. After a two-game slump in which Sanchez was 0-for-8 from deep, the Pasadena, Texas native broke out in a big way as he knocked down five (5) treys in his most recent game against SNU.
 
Francis and Williams Join the Mix
Junior transfers Aaron Francis and Chauncy Williams were eligible to join the team at semester and have provided much-needed depth to the Muleriders, who were down to eight (8) healthy players at the end of the fall semester. In his season-debut, Williams lit up the scoreboard as he scored a team-high 22 points. Williams has since scored in double figures in each game played.
 
No No No No, Not in Our House
BEWARE: Opponents who choose to enter the paint against the Muleriders must do so at their own risk.
On the year, the Muleriders have blocked a total of 49 shots for an average of 4.5 blocks per game. The blocks per game are tops in the GAC and rank the Muleriders in the top 40 in Division II. Twice this season, the Muleriders have blocked 10 or more shots. Junior forward Alre'k Brown has been the most dominant shot-blocker as he has a GAC-leading 32 blocks and 2.9 blocks per game.
 
Reaching the Century Mark
The Muleriders have reached the century mark in scoring twice this season, making it five times under second-year head coach Andy Sharpe that the Muleriders have achieved that feat. The five 100+ point games between last season and this season are the most during a two-year stretch since the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 seasons when the Muleriders had seven such games.
 
Not So Charitable Stripe
The "Charity Stripe" had been less than giving to the Muleriders through the first seven (7) games this season as they were shooting a conference-low 61% (112-of-185) from the free throw line. In the four games since, the Muleriders are shooting 67% from the FT line but they still have a season percentage only 63%.
 
Winning Inside the Paint
One of the keys to the Muleriders' success this season has been when they have won the battle in the paint. Four of their five wins this season have come when they have scored more points in the paint.
 
Playing the Percentages
Through 11 games this season, the SAU men's basketball team is shooting just under 47% (304-of-654) from the floor, which ranks them fourth in the GAC. In four games, the Muleriders have shot over 45% and are 3-2 in such games. When the Muleriders do not shot over 45% in a game, they are currently 2-4.
 
Break Time
Through 11 games this season, the SAU men's basketball team has taken a lead into halftime six times. In those games, the Muleriders are 4-2. When they do not lead at the break, the Muleriders are currently 1-4.
 
Did You Know?!
? - The Muleriders are currently averaging 78.7 points per game, which ranks 2nd in the GAC?!
? - The Muleriders rank 1st in the GAC in blocked shots (49/4.5) and steals (114/10.4)?!
? - Jeffrey Walker (11th) and Alre'k Brown (14th) rank in the top-15 in the GAC in scoring?!
? - Alre'k Brown's 17 rebounds vs. Central Baptist were the most in a game since 2003?!
? - Nemo Sanchez has made five (5) or more three-pointers in a game three (3) times.