SOUTHERN ARKANSAS MULERIDERS (8-4, 5-2 GAC)

SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA BULLDOGS (8-5, 2-4 GAC)

Saturday, January 10 | 3 P.M. Pioneer Cellular Event Center | Weatherford, Okla. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO SAU GAME NOTES | SWOSU GAME NOTES

 

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SETTING THE STAGE
The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team looks to conclude their first Oklahoma swing of the season on a high note as they travel to Weatherford, Okla. to take on Southwestern Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon at the new Pioneer Cellular Event Center. Just last night, the Muleriders came-from-behind and knocked off East Central by a score of 59-58 thanks to Jaron Davis as he knocked down a pair of free throws with seven seconds left to put SAU on top by a point. Those two free throws gave Davis 30 for the game, which ended up being more than half of SAU's team total.
 

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SCOUTING SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA
The Southwestern Oklahoma men's basketball team enters play with an 8-5 overall record and are 2-4 in the GAC. The Bulldogs are coming off of a 66-58 loss at home to the GAC-leading Ouachita Baptist Tigers this past Thursday night.

Statistically, the Bulldogs are averaging 67.2 points per game and are shooting 40% (301-of-752) overall from the floor. Their scoring per game ranks 10th in the GAC while their shooting percentage also ranks 10th in the league. Currently three Bulldogs are averaging double figures in scoring with Martell Collins, the fourth-leading scorer in the GAC leading the way at 17.2 ppg. Next in scoring is Trent Washington at 11.6 ppg and Kenyan Boarders at 10.5 ppg. As a team, the Bulldogs rank 11th in the GAC in
shooting from beyond the arc at 30% (87-of-287) and are seventh in the league at the free throw line at 68% (185-of-273).

Defensively, the Bulldogs are allowing their opponents to score an average of 66.0 points per game while also allowing a 43% (285-of-659) success rate from the floor. Their opponents' points per game average ranks 1st in the GAC and their +1.2 scoring margin ranks seventh.

In terms of rebounding, the Bulldogs rank seventh in the GAC with 34.9 boards per game. On the other end of the court, the Bulldogs are allowing 33.3 boards per game and their +1.6 rebounding margin ranks third in the GAC.

As far as steals and assists, the Bulldogs rank eighth and 11th in the respective categories. On the year, SWOSU is averaging 5.7 steals per game while averaging 9.4 assists.

COACH:
The Bulldogs are coached by Bob Battisti, who is in his second season at Southwestern Oklahoma. In his time at SWOSU, Battisti has amassed a 25-15 overall record. Last year, Battisti led the Bulldogs to a 17-10 record. A vertean head coach of 26 years, Battisti has a career record of 434-311 and spent 21 seasons at the helm of GAC-rival Northwestern Oklahoma prior to a two-year assistant coaching stint at Oklahoma Christian University, which preceded his joining the Bulldogs.

LAST YEAR/LAST TIME OUT:
Last year, the Muleriders and Bulldogs met three times with the first two coming in regular season play and the third matchup coming in the opening round of the Great American Conference Tournament. The first two games went in favor of the Bulldogs, but the Muleriders got the better of SWOSU in the GAC Tournament as SAU won their first conference tournament game the 1999-00 season.

THE SERIES:
This is the 8th meeting all-time between Southern Arkansas and Southwestern Oklahoma in a series that began in 2011-12 as members of the newly-founded Great American Conference. In the brief history of the series, SWOSU holds a 5-2 advantage.

ON TAP:
The Muleriders will return home next week and have two games on the slate with the first coming against Champion Baptist on Thursday, January 15 and the second game coming against Northwestern Oklahoma in GAC play on Saturday, January 17.
 

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SCOUTING THE MULERIDERS
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 nie 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 25-13 overall inside the W.T. Watson Center, including being 7-2 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 just 4-22 overall on the road and 3-19 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 40 threepointers in 12 games played (3.3 makes/game), which ranks him first in the GAC in three-point FG made.

GAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Senior guard Chauncy Williams was named the GAC Co-Player of the Week for the week-ending 1-4-15. During that week, Williams averaged 20.5 points per game and was 10-of-23 from long range (.435).

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 11 games at point guard for the Muleriders. In those 11 games, the Muleriders are 8-3 and Davis has been a scorer as well as a distributor as he his averaging 15.3 points per game and 3.5 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 five games played thus far, Jordan, a 6-10 post presence, has averaged 20.7 minutes per game. In his time on the court, Jordan is averaging 3.8 points per game and 6.0 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 12.3 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game. His
.659 shooting percentage (58-of-88) 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 most-recent game against Williams Baptist. While wearing the mask, Braddock averaged 7.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.