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SETTING THE STAGEThe Southern Arkansas women's basketball team is back at home for a two-game homestand beginning on Thurday, February 12 against East Central University and concluding on Saturday, February 14 against Southwestern Oklahoma State University. The Lady Muleriders will be looking to exact some revenge in each of these games as they lost the first meeting at ECU and SWOSU earlier this season.
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SCOUTING EAST CENTRALThe East Central women's basketball team enters play with a 14-6 overall record and are 10-4 in the GAC. The Tigers have won four of their last five with all four wins coming at home. On the road, however, the Tigers have lost their last three games and are 6-5 on the year.
Statistically, the Tigers are averaging 62.7 points per game and are shooting 39% (450-of-1,161) overall from the floor. Their scoring per game ranks 10th in the GAC while their shooting percentage ranks ninth in the league. Currently four Tigers are averaging double figures in scoring with Dilan Webster leading the way at 14.5 ppg. Next in double figures is Taylor Fisher at 11.9 ppg. Erin Walling and Ashleigh Kelman-Poto round out double figure scoring at 10.6 ppg and and 10.2 ppg, respectively.
As a team, the Tigers rank fifth in the GAC in shooting from beyond the arc at 33% (111-of-336) and rank sixth in the league at the free throw line at 70% (246-of-344).
Defensively, the Tigers are allowing their opponents to score an average of 60.3 points per game while also allowing a 40% (426-of-1,065) success rate from the floor. Their opponents' points per game average ranks second in the GAC and their +2.4 scoring margin ranks fourth
In terms of rebounding, the TIgers rank ninth in the GAC with 35.1 boards per game. On the other end of the court, the Tigers are allowing 38.3 boards per game and their -3.2 rebounding margin ranks 10th in the GAC.
As far as steals and assists, the Tigers rank eighth and fifth in the respective categories. On the year, ECU is averaging 7.1 steals per game while averaging 13.2 assists.
COACHThe Tigers are coached by first-year head man Matt Cole. In the midst of his first season, Cole has led his Tigers to a 14-6 overall record and a 10-4 mark in the GAC. Earlier this year, Cole won his first four games as a head coach at East Central before dropping a 64-55 decision against Texas Woman's. Prior to ECU, Cole was an assistant at Northeastern State where he helped lead the RiverHawks to seven NCAA Tournament apperances with two trips reaching the Sweet 16.
LAST YEAR/LAST TIME OUTThis is the second time this year that the Lady Muleriders and Tigers will meet. In the initial meeting in Ada, the Tigers staved off a furious second half charge by the Lady Muleriders to secure a 69-64 win. The leading scorer for SAU in that game was Chanel Miller as she scored a season-high 27 points.
THE SERIESThis is the 13th meeting since the 1999-00 season between Southern Arkansas and East Central. During this recent stretch, ECU holds a 9-3 lead. When the game is played in Magnolia, however, SAU holds a 3-1 advantage.
ON TAPThe Lady Muleriders will remain at home at take on Southwestern Oklahoma on Valentine's Day. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. inside the W.T. Watson Center
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SAU NOTESRainbolt 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 first in the GAC and rank 28th 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 407 times with 224 (55%) 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 (12.9 ppg). 12 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 21 games played this season, SAU's bench has outscored its opponent's bench 15 times. In those games, the Lady Muleriders are 5-10. Additionally, the Lady Muleriders
have grown to rely rather heavily on their bench scoring as currently 44% 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 11.5 ppg. Additionally, Miller is among the most efficient overall scorers in the GAC as she is shooting 46% overall from the floor (73-of-159), 34% from long range (12-of-35), and 89% from the charity stripe (49-of-55).
Right ThereWhile the Lady Muleriders have lost 16 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 16 losses, the margin of defeat has been six points or fewer eight times.
