SOUTHERN ARKANSAS MULERIDERS (10-4, 6-2 GAC)

NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA RANGERS (4-11, 3-5 GAC)

Saturday, January 17 | 3 P.M. W.T. Watson Center | Magnolia, Ark. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO SAU GAME NOTES | NWOSU GAME NOTES

 

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SETTING THE STAGE
The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team jumps back into Great American Conference play as they play host to Northwestern Oklahoma this Saturday inside the W.T. Watson Center. In that game, the Muleriders will look to continue their winning ways as they enter play with a six-game winning streak in hand with three of those wins coming amongst GAC competition.

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SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA
The Northwestern Oklahoma men's basketball team enters play with a 4-11 overall record and are 3-5 in the GAC. The Rangers are coming off of an 80-70 win on the road at Arkansas-Monticello this past Thursday night.

Statistically, the Rangers are averaging 65.5 points per game and are shooting 39% (344-of-890) overall from the floor. Their scoring per game ranks 11th in the GAC while their shooting percentage also ranks 11th in the league. Currently four Rangers are averaging double figures in scoring with T'aries Taylor leading the way at 13.3 ppg. Next in scoring is Adrain Motley at 11.0 ppg and Lakeem Henderson and Darrian Dempsey are tied at 10.5 ppg.

As a team, the Rangers rank 9th in the GAC in shooting from beyond the arc at 32% (94-of-291) and are 10th in the league at the free throw line at 66% (201-of-306).

Defensively, the Rangers are allowing their opponents to score an average of 77.6 points per game while also allowing a 49% (396-of-817) success rate from the floor. Their opponents' points per game average ranks 11th in the GAC and their -12.1 scoring margin also ranks 11th.

In terms of rebounding, the Rangers rank 10th in the GAC with 33.8 boards per game. On the other end of the court, the Rangers are allowing 38.9 boards per game and their -5.1 rebounding margin ranks 11th in the GAC.

As far as steals and assists, the Rangers rank seventh and ninth in the respective categories. On the year, NWOSU is averaging 6.6 steals per game while averaging 11.8 assists.

COACH
The Rangers are coached by Andrew Brown, who is in his eighth season at Northwestern Oklahoma. In his previous seven seasons at NWOSU, Brown has amassed a 110-93 record and has twice led the Rangers to 20-plus win campagins. In the 2012-13 season, Brown led the Rangers to a share of the Great American Conference regular season crown in NWOSU's first year transitioning from NAIA to the NCAA.

LAST YEAR/LAST TIME OUT
Last year, the Muleriders and Rangers met twice with both games coming in GAC play. NWOSU took the pair of contests, but only edged the Muleriders by a combined 10 points.

THE SERIES
This is the 5th meeting all-time between Southern Arkansas and Northwestern Oklahoma in a series that began in 2012-13 when NWOSU joined the Great American Conference. In the brief history of the series, NWOSU holds a 3-1 advantage over SAU.

ON TAP
The Muleriders will hit the road again next week for another pair of pivotal GAC games. The first of which is a rivalry game against Arkansas-Monticello on Thursday, January 22. The second of the two-game slate next week will send the Muleriders to Arkadelphia to take on Ouachita Baptist.

YEAR THREE OF THE PROCESS
Head coach Andy Sharpe is now in his third year at SAU and he looks to have his program make another step in the right direction in 2014-15. Last year saw many improvements within the program as the win total increased from the year prior, but also last year saw the Muleriders win their first conference tournament game since the 1999-2000 season. This year, Shapre returns five players from a year ago along with adding nine talented newcomers to the mix.

HOME SWEET HOME
Under the direction of head coach Andy Sharpe, the W.T. Watson Center has been a place where the Muleriders show up to play and expect to win. Since the start of the 2012-13 season (Sharpe's first), the Muleriders are 27-13 overall inside the W.T. Watson Center, including being 8-2 at home this season.

LEARNING TO WIN ON THE ROAD
As the Mulerider basketball program continues to build itself towards becoming a championship-level program, learning to win on the road is the essential next step within the building process. Since Head Coach Andy Sharpe took over at SAU prior to the 2012-13 season, the Muleriders are 5-22 overall on the road and 4-19 away from the W.T. Watson Center against GAC opponents.

WILLIAMS W/THE "HOT" HAND FROM DEEP
In SAU's game against Texas A&M-Commerce (12/1), Chauncy Williams buried eight three-pointers. The eight makes from long range were the most by a Mulerider since the 2006-07 season when former player Brandon Williams hit eight trifectas as well. So far this season, Williams has made 47 threepointers in 14 games played (3.4 makes/game), which ranks him first in the GAC in three-point FG made.

BACK-TO-BACK GAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
One week after Chauncy Williams won GAC Co-Player of the Week, junior guard Jaron Davis made it back-to-back weeks for SAU basketball as he averaged 27.0 ppg and led the Muleriders to a pair of road GAC wins, propelling them into first-place.

RUNNING THE POINT
After not starting SAU's opening game, but eventually logging 38 minutes in the overtime loss to Southern Nazarene, junior transfer Jaron Davis has started the last 13 games at point guard for the Muleriders. In those 13 games, the Muleriders are 10-3 and Davis has been a scorer as well as a distributor as he his averaging 15.8 points per game and 3.9 assists in that time.

JORDAN JOINING THE MIX
Junior forward Kevin Jordan has been a welcomed edition to the Muleriders' rotation since becoming eligible at the conclusion of the fall semester. In eight games played thus far, Jordan, a 6-10 post presence, has averaged 20.1 minutes per game. In his time on the court, Jordan is averaging 4.5 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game as
well.

WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?!
Senior forward Alre'k Brown returns after his dominant junior campaign in which he burst onto the scene for the SAU basketball team as he established himself as one of the best big men in the GAC. In that breakout year, Brown would rank in the top-five in the league in Blocked Shots (1st | 2.4 bpg), Field Goal % (3rd | .626), and total Rebounding
(4th | 7.4 rpg) while also ranking 16th in the GAC in scoring with 12.4 ppg. This season, Brown is currently averaging 12.2 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game. His
.650 shooting percentage (67-of-103) ranks first on the team and second in the GAC.

MASKED MULERIDER NO LONGER?
In the first minute of the first game of the season, junior transfer Alvin Braddock suffered a broken nose as he went for a rebound. That injury caused Braddock to miss the next two games, but the Kankakee, Ill. native made his return to the Muleriders' starting lineup against Texas A&M-Commerce on December 1 donning a protective mask.
Braddock would wear the mask over the next six games before being cleared to play without it for SAU's against Williams Baptist. While wearing the mask, Braddock averaged 7.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.