Box Score

DURANT, Okla. – Sophomore forward Jeffrey Walker scored a season-high 30 points and helped lift the Southern Arkansas men's basketball team to a pivotal 82-79 road win over Southeastern Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon in the Bloomer Sullivan Arena in Durant.
 
Walker, who has led the team in scoring and averaged 20.6 points per game in his last five games, would score his 30 points on Saturday on the strength of an efficient 13-of-16 shooting (81%) effort from the floor and 4-of-6 (67%) from the free throw line. Half of his final total came in the first half as Walker scored 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting. In the second half, Walker was a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor and 3-of-3 from the free throw line.
 
Walker's hot shooting afternoon was a part of an overall strong offensive effort by the Muleriders (10-11, 6-9 GAC) collectively. For the game, the Muleriders would knock down 28-of-59 total field goals (48%), and they would hit 9-of-25 from long range. Additionally, the Muleriders were17-of-24 from the free throw line (71%).   
 
As far as game action was concerned, play in the first half featured ups and downs for both teams. The first up went in favor of the Savage Storm (6-13, 4-10 GAC) as they grabbed the game's first lead and grew that initial lead out to as much as eight points about halfway through the opening half.
 
After gaining that lead, however, the Savage Storm saw it methodically disappear over the next three minutes as the Muleriders went on a 12-3 run to grab their first lead of the game, 24-23, with 7:07 left in the first half. From there, the Muleriders would grow that lead out to as large as nine points before heading in halftime with a four-point lead, 42-38.
 
Early in the second half, the Muleriders had their lead taken away on a three-pointer by Taylor Smaller, but a 16-5 SAU run followed to push the Muleriders ahead by nine points, 60-51, with 14:25 remaining in the game. Immediately after that, however, the Savage Storm ripped off a 10-2 run over the next three minutes to pull within a point, 62-61.
 
The Muleriders would withstand that surge by the Savage Storm and held on to their lead until another three-pointer by Smaller put SOSU up, 72-71, with 5:54 left to play.
 
The next four minutes of play would be close as the lead changed hands three times. The final of those lead changes went in favor of the Muleriders as Duke Reed layed one in with 1:55 to go to give SAU a one-point lead, 78-77. That go-ahead bucket would prove to be the eventual game-winner as the Muleriders eventually came away with a three-point win, 82-79.
 
While Walker's 30 points jumps off the stat sheet, two other Muleriders had great offensive games as Duke Reed and Chauncy Williams also scored in double figures. Williams would do much of his damage from the three-point line as 18 of his 23 points came from long range. Reed was 4-of-7 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the free throw line as he scored 13 points.
 
Helping pace all of those outstanding offensive numbers on Saturday was point guard Tyrell Taylor. Taylor would dish out a season-high 13 assists for the Muleriders. Those 13 dimes were the most in a game for a Mulerider since Rodney Hill collected 11 assists against Delta State on December 3, 2011.
 
The Muleriders will now return home for another pivotal GAC matchup against Southern Nazarene on Thursday, February 13. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.