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SETTING THE STAGEThe Southern Arkansas women's basketball team begins a tough two-game stretch this week as they will take on the top two-teams in the Great American Conference in Arkansas Tech on Thursday and Harding on Saturday. Both opponents are also nationally-ranked with Harding rising to No. 16, while Arkansas Tech slipped some to No. 20 in the latest WBCA National Rankings. The game against Tech will be played at the W.T. Watson Center while the Harding contest will be on the road.
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SCOUTING ARKANSAS TECHThe Arkansas Tech women's basketball team enters play with a 15-2 overall record and are 10-1 in the GAC. The Goldens Suns are coming off of an 82-73 win at home over Henderson State after losing a battle of GAC unbeatens on the road to Harding last Thursday.
Statistically, the Golden Suns are averaging 79.4 points per game and are shooting 48% (474-of-992) overall from the floor. Their scoring per game ranks in first in the GAC while their shooting percentage also ranks first in the league. Currently three Golden Suns are averaging double figures in scoring with Fatima Adams leading the way at 21.3 ppg. Adams' scoring average leads the GAC and ranks 11th in Division II. Next in double figures is Anissa Pounds at 13.4 ppg followed by Katrina Hayden at 10.9 ppg.
As a team, the Golden Suns rank fourth in the GAC in shooting from beyond the arc at 35% (79-of-229) and rank ninth in the league at the free throw line at 71% (323-of-456).
Defensively, the Golden Suns are allowing their opponents to score an average of 62.2 points per game while also allowing a 39% (350-of-897) success rate from the floor. Their opponents' points per game average ranks third in the GAC and their +17.2 scoring margin ranks second
In terms of rebounding, the Golden Suns rank fourth in the GAC with 40.3 boards per game. On the other end of the court, the Golden Suns are allowing 30.5 boards per game and their +9.8 rebounding margin ranks second in the GAC.
As far as steals and assists, the Golden Suns rank first and third in the respective categories. On the year, ATU is averaging 10.8 steals per game while averaging 15.5 assists.
COACHThe Golden Suns are coched by Dave Wilbers who is now in his eighth season at the helm. In his seven previous seasons at Tech, Wilbers has continued the grand tradition that is Golden Sun basketball as he has amassed a 168-42 (.800) overall record and has won four conference championships, including each of the first two regular season crowns in the GAC.
LAST YEAR/LAST TIME OUTThis is the second time this year that the Lady Muleriders and Golden Suns will hit the hardwood against one another. In the first meeting, the Lady Muleriders nearly pulled off a big road upset over previously unbeaten Arkansas Tech, but ultimately, Tech prevailed by a score of 87-81. The leading scorers in the game were
Rosa Bryant (SAU)
with 24 points and Fatima Adams (ATU) with 29 points.
THE SERIESThis is the 32nd meeting since the 1999-00 season between Southern Arkansas and Arkansas Tech. During this recent stretch, ATU holds a commanding 27-4 lead. Three of those four wins for SAU have come inside the W.T. Watson Center.
ON TAPThe Lady Muleriders will travel to Searcy this Satruday to take on first-place Harding University. Tip-off for the game is set for 5:30 p.m.
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SAU NOTES
Rainbolt Era: Year TwoSouthern Arkansas head women's basketball coach
Rusty Rainbolt is now in his second season and in his short time, Rainbolt has taken major strides towards building the Lady Muleriders into a top-tier team within the Great American Conference. Last year, in his first season, Rainbolt won 12 games and led the Lady Muleriders to their first conference tournament game since 2006-07. Those 12 wins surpassed the win total for the program over the past three years combined.
Stealing is a Good ThingA continuing trend from last season is the fact that the Lady Muleriders are ranked in the upper echelon of the GAC and the NCAA in steals per game. Last season, the Lady Muleriders led the GAC and ranked 15th in DII in steals per game with 11.3. This season, the Lady Muleriders are second in the GAC and rank 33rd in DII in steals per game at 10.7
Cause and Effect: TurnoversAs fans grew to expect last season, head coachÂ
Rusty Rainbolt will employ a hard-nosed, full-court press defense for much of a given game. As a result of that up-tempo and aggresive style of defense, opponents have grown frustrated within their offenses and it has caused them to turn the ball over 334 times with 182 (54%) of those forced turnovers coming via the steal.
Bryant GAC Player of the WeekSouthern Arkansas junior forward
Rosa Bryant was named the GAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the week-ending January 4, 2014. Bryant, a native of Bastrop, La., earned the weekly conference honor after a highly-efficient shooting performance against Henderson State. In that game, Bryant would go 10-of-11 from the floor (.909) on her way to scoring a team-high 21 points in the game. Her field goal% for that game was the highest in a game (min. 10 FG made) since the 2006-07 season when Kim Davis went 11-of-13 vs. UAM.
Bryant Emerging as Scoring ThreatJunior newcomer
Rosa Bryant has become one of SAU's top scoring threats this season as she is one of two Lady Muleriders currently averaging double figures in scoring (12.3 ppg). 10 times this season, Bryant has scored 10 or more points in a game and she has scored 20 or more in four times, including a season-high 24 against then #18 Arkansas Tech.
Equal-Opportunity ScoringIn 17 games played this season, SAU's bench has outscored its opponent's bench 12 times. In those games, the Lady Muleriders are 4-8. Additionally, the Lady Muleriders
have grown to rely rather heavily on their bench scoring as currently 45% of their scoring is coming from their bench.
Chanel No. 3Chanel Miller returns to the Lady Mulerider basketball team for her senior season after the Waxachachie, Texas turned in a sensational junior campaign at SAU in which she was honored as the GAC's Newcomer of the Year. Last season, Miller lead the team in scoring at 15.3 ppg and shot at a 44% clip overall from the floor (149-of-336), 22% from beyond the arc (4-of-18), and 76% from the free throw line (96-of-127). This season, Miller is once again one of the team's top scorers as she is averaging 12.4 ppg. Additionally, Miller is among the most efficient overall scorers in the GAC as she is shooting 47% overall from the floor (63-of-132), 36% from long range (11-of-31), and 88% from the charity stripe (36-of-41).
Right ThereWhile the Lady Muleriders have lost 13 games to this point in the season, that is not to say that they haven't been in a position to win most of those games. Out of the 12 losses, the margin of defeat has -been six points or fewer seven times.
