MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas Lady Mulerider basketball team dominated the first half of action on Thursday evening inside the W.T. Watson Athletic Center and played sound basketball down the stretch to hold off #20 Arkansas Tech, 57-52 as SAU snapped a nine-game losing streak while handing the Golden Suns only their third defeat of the year.
 
The Lady Muleriders (5-13, 3-9 GAC) led by 12 at the break, 36-24, and would push their lead to 16 early in the second half, before Arkansas Tech (15-3, 10-2 GAC) began to chip away at their momentum. A rambunctious crowd of over 530 diehards created an electric atmosphere during the first half that remained abuzz throughout the night.
 
Turnovers would play a huge part in this contest as both teams combined for 58, with 33 coming in the first half of action alone. The Lady Muleriders full court press kept ATU off-balance all night and helped spark a defensive effort that held the Great American Conference's top scoring offense (79.4) to only 52 points.
 
Both teams jumped out with a fast-paced, up tempo game plan that saw each side trade baskets and with five quick Chanel Miller points after the 16:00 media timeout, SAU pushed out front 7-6.
 
At the 14:56 mark, the Golden Suns would convert on a fast break layup opportunity to take an 8-7 lead but that would be their last lead of the ballgame as Southern Arkansas quickly took control.
 
SAU battled over the next six and a half minutes to build a five-point lead at the 8:25 mark courtesy of a jumper by Miller that gave the Lady Muleriders a 15-10 lead.
 
Tech would climb back to as close as a point, before Southern Arkansas used the final seven and a half minutes to produce a dominating sequence backed by a lively crowd.
 
At the 5:48 mark, and holding a 19-15 advantage, Aarika Reyna drilled a three-pointer via an assist from Allie Wade. Wade forced a steal on the ensuing possession and knocked down a jumper to push SAU's lead to nine.
 
Seventeen minutes into the game, the air conditioning unit inside the W.T. Watson Athletic Center was adjusted and finally began to provide cool air to those in attendance, but it didn't affect SAU as the Lady Muleriders remained hot down the stretch. Southern Arkansas knocked down five free throws and got two fast break buckets to aid the effort that produced a 12 point lead at the intermission.
 
Battle-tested and nationally ranked, the Golden Suns were beginning to cut into the Lady Muleriders' 16 point, early second half lead before Tech hit a scoring drought. Two free throws at the 15:58 mark would begin a five plus minute scoring hiatus that ended with an Anissa Pounds three-pointer with 10:37 remaining.
 
Up nine, 42-33, Southern Arkansas' season-long resiliency began to make its presence felt. Shabr'an Richardson connected on two free throws to push the Lady Mulerider lead to 11 with 9:43 remaining and Miller would follow suit, three minutes later with a pair of charity stripe freebies that would push SAU's lead back to eight, 46-38.
 
A Reyna layup and a Brianna Sifford free throw pushed SAU's lead to eight, 51-43, but needing to answer two possessions later, Sifford found Rosa Bryant for a paint bucket that gave Southern Arkansas a six point lead with under a minute remaining.
 
An ensuing Tech three forced the Mulerider faithful to collectively hold their breath as it became a one possession game with 42 seconds left, but Sifford eventually iced it at the free throw line to give the Lady Muleriders their first victory since December 6^th.
 
Miller led the scoring charge with 13 points and Sifford added 11, six coming from the free throw stripe. Sifford, Wade and Barvion Wyatt all collected three steals. Eight Lady Muleriders scored as SAU outscored ATU 27-0 in bench points.
 
Thursday night's victory marked the Lady Muleriders' first win over Arkansas Tech since the 2005-06 season when SAU defeated the Golden Suns 55-44 in Magnolia.
 
It will not get any easier for Southern Arkansas as the Lady Muleriders travel to Searcy, Arkansas, on Saturday, January 31^st for a 5:30 p.m. tip with the #16 ranked Harding Lady Bisons, the top team in the Great American Conference.