SOUTHERN ARKANSAS MULERIDERS (11-4, 7-2 GAC)

ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO BOLL WEEVILS (5-8, 2-7 GAC)

Thursday, January 22 | 7:30 P.M. W.T. Watson Center | Magnolia, Ark. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO SAU GAME NOTES | UAM GAME NOTES

 

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SETTING THE STAGE
The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team concludes the first half of Great American Conference play tonight as they hit the road to take on rival Arkansas-Monticello. Coming into the game, the Muleriders are on a seven-game winning streak and are tied atop the GAC standings at 7-2 in league play.
 

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SCOUTING ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO
The Arkansas-Monticello men's basketball team enters play with a 5-8 overall record and are 2-7 in the GAC. The Boll Weevils have lost their last two games, including a 70-63 overtime defeat their last time out at home vs. Southwestern Oklahoma this past Saturday. Statistically, the Boll Weevils are averaging 73.7 points per game and are shooting 44% (365-of-805) overall from the floor. Their scoring per game ranks 5th in the GAC while their shooting percentage ranks 6th in the league. Currently two Boll Weevils are averaging double figures in scoring, but three others are averaging at least nine points per game as well. Sharif Hudson leads the way in scoring at 15.8 ppg
with Jamal Peterson next in line at 13.3 ppg. As a team, the Boll Weevils rank 11th in the GAC in shooting from beyond the arc at 29% (72-of-246) and are 10th in the league at the free throw line at 66% (174-of-265).

Defensively, the Boll Weevils are allowing their opponents to score an average of 74.2 points per game while also allowing a 45% (353-of-781) success rate from the floor. Their opponents' points per game average ranks 10th in the GAC and their -0.5 scoring margin ranks 8th.

In terms of rebounding, the Boll Weevils rank 2nd in the GAC with 38.8 boards per game. On the other end of the court, the Boll Weevils are allowing 36.8 boards per game and their +2.0 rebounding margin ranks 3rd in the GAC.

As far as steals and assists, the Boll Weevils rank 6th and 8th in the respective categories. On the year, UAM is averaging 7.2 steals per game while averaging 11.8 assists.

COACH
The Boll Weevils are coached by Kyle Tolin, who is in his first season at UAM. Also in his first season as a head coach at the collegiate level, Tolin came to UAM from NAIA-national powerhouse Oklahoma Baptist. All told, Tolin spent 14 years at Oklahoma Baptist as he was a four-year player and then spent the previous 10 seasons as an assistant coach under his father, Doug Tolin. In each of those 14 years, Tolin helped lead the Bison to the NAIA National Tournament, winning it all in 2010.

LAST YEAR/LAST TIME OUT
Last year, the Muleriders and Boll Weevils met twice with both games coming in GAC play. Each team would defend their home court as SAU picked up a thrilling 99-97 overtime win at home while UAM earned a 89-64 win on their home court.

THE SERIES
This is the 31st meeting since the 1999-00 season between Southern Arkansas and Arkansas-Monticello in a series that began in 1929. Since then, the two have
played 164 times with the Muleriders holding a commanding 101-63 advantage in the all-time series. Since the 1999-00 season, however, UAM has taken charge of the series and are 18-12 in the 30 meetings in that time.

ON TAP
The Muleriders will remain on the road and begin to play GAC opponents for the second time this season as they travel to Arkadelphia to take on Ouachita Baptist. That game will be played on Saturday, Janaury 24 and has a tipoff scheduled for 3 p.m.
 

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SCOUTING SOUTHERN ARKANSAS

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 28-13 overall inside the W.T. Watson Center, including being 9-2 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 48 three-pointers in 15 games played (3.2 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 14 games at point guard for the Muleriders. In those 14 games, the Muleriders are 11-3 and Davis has been a scorer as well as a distributor as he his averaging 15.4 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 nine games played thus far, Jordan, a 6-10 post presence, has averaged 20.8 minutes per game. In his time on the court, Jordan is averaging 4.8 points per game and 5.7 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 12.7 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game. His
.649 shooting percentage (74-of-114) ranks first on the team and second in the GAC.

CAREER WIN #200
On January 15, Southern Arkansas head men's basketball coach Andy Sharpe picked up his 200th career victory in SAU's 81-42 drubbing of Champion Baptist. Coach Sharpe is now in his third season at SAU and 10th season overall on the sidelines.