MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Senior guard Deon Andrews led Southern Arkansas with 13 points and junior transfer guard De'sean Dockery added a career-high 11 points, but Southern Arkansas was unable to overcome a 28-22 halftime deficit as Northwestern Oklahoma St. took a 67-59 road victory on Thursday night inside the W.T. Watson Center.
 
The Muleriders (4-3, 1-2 GAC) outscored Northwestern Oklahoma 38-24 in the paint, but the Rangers scored 20 second-chance points and used 31 bench points to pick up their first Great American Conference win of the season.
 
Defensively, Southern Arkansas collected seven steals and four blocks as Andrews and Dockery picked up a pair of steals apiece, while senior forward Alvin Braddock added two steals to go along with eight points and nine rebounds.
 
Southern Arkansas led for the first 13 minutes of the game and a pair of back-to-back buckets by Braddock at the 5:31 mark pushed SAU out-front 20-17. A three-pointer from Northwestern just shy of the four-minute mark would give the Rangers a 23-22 lead and they would not surrender it as they took a 28-22 lead into intermission.
 
With 13:20 remaining in the game, NWOSU led by 12, 47-35, before a late-game surge from the Muleriders ensued as senior forward Kevin Jordan dropped two of his ten points to cut the lead to ten, 47-37. Dockery added a bucket on the ensuing possession and senior guard Jaron Davis dropped a three-pointer to pull SAU to 47-42.
 
Freshman guard Colby Dismuke collected a free throw to pull within two possessions and a tip-in from Jordan at the 9:18 mark brought the deficit back to four at 51-47, before Andrews cut the Ranger lead to a point with a three-pointer, 51-50.
 
A pair of free throws by redshirt freshman guard CJ Elkins at the 2:02 mark to bring SAU to within a possession at 61-58, but Northwestern Oklahoma would connect on four of six free throws down the stretch to close the game.
 
The Muleriders return to action this Saturday, December 3, inside the W.T. Watson Center with a 3 p.m. GAC-tilt against Southwestern Oklahoma St. Be sure to visit muleriderahtletics.com for future updates and pregame and postgame recaps of the 2015-16 Mulerider Basketball team and head coach Andy Sharpe.