Box Score

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team made their first seven three-pointers of the second half to help push them past visiting Harding University by a score of 81-77 on Thursday night in the W.T. Watson Center.
 
The three-point shooting clinic by the Muleriders (11-12, 8-9 GAC) started at the 14:04 mark of the second half when DeAndre Scott nailed a trey to bring SAU to within two points, 47-45. That three by Scott also sparked an eventual 11-0 run that gave SAU their largest lead of the game to that point in the game, six points, 53-47.
 
The Bisons (12-11, 9-8 GAC) would break that Mulerider surge and cut the deficit in half with a three-pointer by Weston Jameson at the 10:30 mark of the second half. An 8-1 Mulerider run over the next two minutes of the game, however, put SAU in front by double-digits, 61-51. Nemo Sanchez bookended that run with a pair of three-pointers and Tre'von Wilkerson accounted for the other score on a jumper.
 
As they did before when the Muleriders started to pull away, the Bisons clawed their way back into the game. This time, it was a 7-0 run that brought Harding back to within three points, 61-58, with 7:25 left to play.
 
With 6:26 remaining, the Muleriders still held a modest three-point lead, but the hot-shooting from deep heated up to a scorching-maximum as SAU knocked down four three-pointers over the next two minutes of the game as part of a 12-2 run that put the Muleriders up by their largest margin of the game, 13 points, 75-62.
 
The breathing room that the Muleriders gave themselves during that surge slowly dissolved over the next four minutes of the game as the Bisons fought back and made it a seven-point game, 77-70 with 1:09 left.
 
A pair of made free throws by Duke Reed seconds later made it a nine-point Mulerider lead, 79-70. Unwilling to go away, however, the Bisons would make an improbable 7-0 run over the next 41 seconds to pull to within two points, 79-77, with 20 seconds to go.
 
With the lead in sudden danger, the Muleriders were able to rely on Reed to put the game on ice as he made two of three free throw attempts over the final 20 seconds.
 
Four Muleriders would score in double-figures for SAU with Sanchez leading the way with 18 points. All 18 of his points would come from beyond the arc as Sanchez made six three-pointers. Behind him was Jeffrey Walker with 16 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Reed would be next with 15 points, and Chauncy Williams rounded out double-figure scoring with 11 points.
 
The Muleriders will now hit the road for a pivotal game against Arkansas Tech on Saturday, February 22. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 4 p.m.