ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Tierra Tucker scored a team-leading 17 points and Southern Arkansas shot over 57% from the three-point line in the first half, but the Lady Muleriders were unable to pull off the season sweep of Ouachita Baptist as the Lady Tigers came out on top, 88-72 on Saturday afternoon inside Bill Vining Arena.
 
The Lady Muleriders (4-13, 2-9 GAC) outscored OBU 42-26 inside the paint but the Lady Tigers took advantage from the charity stripe as they shot 83.3% (25-30) from the line on the afternoon.
 
It was all Southern Arkansas throughout the first six plus minutes of the game as the Lady Muleriders jumped out to an 18-8 lead at the 13:47 mark of the first half. The ten point lead, SAU's largest since leading by 20 points in the first half against Henderson St. on January 3^rd, came courtesy of seven points from Chanel Miller and five from Miranda Grier.
 
Benefitting from their home court, the Lady Tigers produced a 12-2 run to even the ballgame at 20 with 8:34 remaining in the first half. Southern Arkansas would lead by five two more times in the first half, and with a tied ballgame at 29, Aarika Reyna gave the Lady Muleriders their last lead with a three pointer with 3:03 remaining till intermission.
 
Plagued by four turnovers in the final two minutes of the half, Southern Arkansas trailed by 5 at the break, 37-32.
 
Moments into the second half and trailing 39-34, Rosa Bryant scored inside and Tucker knocked down two free throws to pull the Lady Muleriders within one, 39-38 at the 18:16 mark of the final half.
 
A Lady Tiger three-pointer would push their second half lead to ten just under 14 minutes to play, but two quick paint buckets by Southern Arkansas would cut their deficit to six. Unlike past opponents, however, OBU would suppress any chance SAU would have of getting back into the game.
 
The Lady Muleriders would continue to battle, but Ouachita Baptist took 11 and a half minutes and built a 12 point advantage that would increase to 16 as the Lady Tigers collected 10 points from the foul line in the final two and a half minutes.
 
Tucker and Bryant each worked 24 minutes on the floor. Semester newcomer Aleeya Harris dropped a season-high 13 points in 18 minutes off of the bench. Miller rounded out double digit scoring with 10, the tenth time she has scored in double figures in 14 games played.
 
Southern Arkansas will return home to the W.T. Watson Athletic Center with a 5:30 p.m. tilt with Arkansas Tech on Thursday, January 29^th.