MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team held the Great American Conference's top scoring team in Ouachita Baptist (86.3 ppg) to just 59 points on Saturday evening as the Muleriders were able to cruise to a 75-59 win on their home court inside the W.T. Watson Center.
 
The stout defensive effort by the Muleriders (4-2, 3-1 GAC) showed up clearly on the stat sheet in the form of SAU holding the Tigers (5-2, 1-1 GAC) to just 36% shooting overall from the floor (24-of-67). Additionally, the Muleriders were able to limit the Tigers to just 21% success rate from beyond the arc (4-of-19). Coming into the game, the Tigers were the top team in the GAC in both overall field goal percentage (.499 | 190-of-381) and three-point field goal percentage (.403 | 50-of-124).
 
Perhaps the spark for the Muleriders defensively in the game was the quick start the team got off to on the offensive end as SAU opened the game on an 8-2 run. Chauncy Williams and Alre'k Brown, who would each end with a team-high 17 points, accounted for the eight points in that early run. Williams would can a pair of three-pointers while Brown added a basket in the paint.
 
That quick start gave the Muleriders the one and only lead needed in the game as they were able to go wire-to-wire leading the Tigers. OBU would, however, pull to within two points on three different occasions in the first half, but were not ever able to knot the game.
 
Eventually, the Muleriders would swell their lead out to double digits heading into halftime as SAU went on an 8-4 mini run over the final 4:41 of the half to take a 10-point lead into the break, 37-27. 
 
Coming out of the break, the Muleriders would balloon their lead out to 20 points, 49-29, with 15:58 left in the game thanks to a 12-2 run over the first 4:30 of the second half. During that run, the Muleriders would go 3-of-5 overall from the floor, 1-of-2 from three-point range, and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Conversely, the Tigers would go 1-of-5 overall from the floor, 0-of-1 from three-point range, and 0-for-3 from the free throw line.
 
Over the next 2:43 of the game, however, the Tigers would force their way back into the game as they went on a 9-0 run to cut their deficit to 11 points, 49-38, with 13:15 remaining. That would be as close as the Tigers could get to the Muleriders as SAU went on another 12-2 run over the next 5:17 of the game to put them firmly back in control.
 
With SAU ahead by 14 points and 2:17 remaining in the game, the Tigers went into desperation mode and looked to play the season free throw averages against the Muleriders as they began to intentionally foul on each of SAU's remaining possessions. The Muleriders would rise to that challenge by making 7-of-10 free throws to end the game.
 
Statistically, the Muleriders would have four players reach double figures with Brown and Williams scoring 17 points apiece and Jaron Davis and Tyrell Taylor adding 15 and 12 points, respectively. On the boards, Brown and DJ Frye would tie for the team-lead with nine rebounds each. Taylor would lead all players with seven assists and Brown would come away with a game-high five blocks.
 
As a team, the Muleriders would only turn the ball over nine times while on the other end, SAU forced OBU to commit 15 turnovers. Nine of those forced turnovers would come via the steal with Davis and Taylor leading the team with three each.
 
In terms of specialty stats, the Muleriders would score more points in the paint (14-12), more points off of turnovers (9-2) and more second chance points (9-6).
 
The Muleriders will now have a week off until they hit the road for their next action against Arkansas Tech on Saturday, December 13. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 1 p.m.