Box Score

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Trailing by as much as 17 points with 6:42 left in the first half, the Southern Arkansas women's basketball team stormed back into the game with a 21-8 run to close out the half. The Lady Muleriders would also make a similar run late in the second half to force overtime against East Central on Saturday afternoon in the W.T. Watson Center. The extra five-minutes benefitted SAU more as they bested ECU by a point, 84-83.
 
The win moves the Lady Muleriders to 7-4 overall and 3-2 in the GAC. The seven wins so far this season also matched the program's win output over the prior three years combined.
 
Helping surge the Lady Tigers (7-5, 2-4 GAC) to their sizable lead in the first half was their success from beyond the arc. For the first half, the Lady Tigers knocked down eight three-pointers and shot 42% from deep (8-of-19).
 
Despite the barrage of trifectas by ECU, the Lady Muleriders were able to not let the game get away and even threaten the lead as they were efficient in their shooting in the first half. Through the first 20 minutes, SAU shot 54% overall from the floor (15-of-28). Another factor in the Lady Muleriders methodical comeback was their success from the free throw line. In the first half alone, the Lady Muleriders attempted 19 free throws, making 15 for a 74 FT%.
 
After pulling to within four points heading into halftime, the Lady Muleriders would find themselves down by double-digits again at a couple of points in the second half. The last of those instances came at the 8:01 mark when ECU's Janee Garza canned one of her five three-pointers to give the Lady Tigers a 10-point lead, 73-63.
 
Over the next three minutes of play, the Lady Muleriders would catch fire and make their next five shots as they went on an 11-0 run to charge ahead for their first lead since early in the first half.
 
The Lady Tigers would reclaim their lead with 3:44 left as Alycea Price made good on a jumper. ECU would continue to hold a lead over the Lady Muleriders as the clocked winded down, but SAU remained within one possession of the Lady Tigers.
 
Trailing by three points with less than 30 seconds left, head coach Rusty Rainbolt called his final timeout of regulation to set up the potential game-tying possession. Coming out of the timeout, the Lady Muleriders worked the ball around until reigning GAC Player of the Week, Allie Wade, got free at the top of the three-point line. Wade, who was 0-for-8 from long range to that point, put up the shot and knocked it down to knot the game at 79-all.
 
The Lady Tigers would have a chance for the game-winning score as they took their final possession with nine seconds left in the game, but Price's baseline shot would not fall, sending the game into overtime.
 
In the extra frame, SAU would fall behind early as the Lady Tigers' Erin Walling scored the first points of overtime. That lead would not last long, however as SAU's Chanel Miller knocked down a jumper on the other end of the court, knotting the game up at 81-all.
 
One of two made free throws by Miranda Grier with 2:45 left in overtime gave SAU a one-point lead, 82-81. ECU would take the lead once more soon after, but a good jumper by Grier with 50 seconds left gave the Lady Muleriders their final lead of the game as that shot would prove to be the game-winner, giving SAU an 84-83 overtime win against East Central.
 
Five players scored in double figures for SAU with Barvion Wyatt and Chanel Miller pacing the team with 21 and 22 points, respectively.
 
The Lady Muleriders will now prepare to hit the road in a week from today as they travel to Bethany, Okla. to take on Southern Nazarene. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 2 p.m.