MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Sophomore forward Aleeya Harris matched a career-high with 19 points, while senior guard Shana Holmes dropped 18 for the Lady Muleriders as Southern Arkansas rolled to a big 74-48 Great American Conference win over Northwestern Oklahoma St. inside the W.T. Watson Center on Thursday night in their 2015-16 home-opener.
 
The win keeps the Lady Muleriders (5-0, 3-0 GAC) atop the GAC standings as they are in the midst of their best start to a season since 2003-04, when that year's team started 5-0; winning eight out of their first 10 games. The 26-point margin of victory is the most for the program in their five-year history in the GAC with the previous high coming in a 24-point win at home against Arkansas-Monticello in January of 2014.
 
Senior forward Rosa Bryant registered her fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds while adding a pair of steals and blocks each. Southern Arkansas scored over half their points in the paint (38), while cashing in for 18 points off of 21 Ranger turnovers.
 
Northwestern Oklahoma scored the first points of the game after controlling the tip, but Harris' first bucket at 8:24 tied it at two, before Holmes added a layup just under the seven-minute mark to give SAU the only lead they would need. The Lady Muleriders forced 11 turnovers, including three blocks and a pair of steals in the first half as they held NWOSU to 23 points. Holmes was 3-of-3 from deep in the first half and Southern Arkansas shot 48.5% from the floor as a team.
 
SAU led 39-23 at the break and pushed their lead to 22 through the first minute and a half of action in the third quarter as Harris, junior guard Caroline Ficher and Bryant all scored down low pushing the Lady Mulerider lead to 45-23.
 
Junior guard Tierra Tucker put the Southern Arkansas lead back to 21 at 47-26 after a pair of free throws at the 6:05 mark of the third quarter. Tucker chipped in with six points, five rebounds and four assists on the night.
 
Bryant would add a pair of charity stripe freebies to close out the third quarter and give SAU a 23-point advantage, 59-36, heading into the final ten minutes of play. The Lady Muleriders lead would get to as much as 27 with under a minute left to as senior guard Destavia Davis connected on a free throw as SAU cruised to their third GAC win in as many games.
 
Freshman forward Alyssa Hamilton added eight points and seven rebounds in 15 minutes off of the bench and every Lady Mulerider logged at least three minutes of game action.
 
Southern Arkansas will hit the court again this Saturday, December 5, for a 1 p.m. tip-off with Southwestern Oklahoma St. Be sure to visit muleriderathletics.com for continuing coverage of the 2015-16 Lady Mulerider Basketball team and head coach Julio Pacheco.