MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Chanel Miller scored a game-high 20 points and Rosa Bryant registered her fourth double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds as the Southern Arkansas Lady Mulerider basketball team earned their third consecutive home win with a 58-53 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma St. on Saturday afternoon inside the W.T. Watson Athletic Center.
 
The win helps the Lady Muleriders (7-16, 5-12 GAC) stay in the hunt for a berth in the upcoming GAC tournament in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
 
Southern Arkansas led 26-18 at the end of the first half, courtesy of eight points from Miller and a solid defensive performance by the Lady Muleriders that forced ten turnovers and held SWOSU to 18 points on 24% shooting from the field.
 
The Lady Muleriders' largest lead of the game came with 5:53 remaining in the first half when Bryant knocked down a jumper to put SAU up 11, 20-9. Two SWOSU free throws would cut the lead to six at the 2:10 mark of the opening half, but Southern Arkansas would carry an eight point advantage into the break before an early Lady Dawg run in the second half tied it at 31 with 15:31 to play in the contest.
 
SWOSU's lead would grow to eight points, before Southern Arkansas created an 8-1 run courtesy of two baskets by Miller, a pair of Brianna Sifford free throws and an inside bucket from Bryant that brought SAU within a point, 40-39.
 
With just over seven minutes to play and trailing by four, 46-42, Bryant knocked down one free throw and forced a steal that resulted in a fast break layup that again brought the Lady Muleriders to within a point, 46-45 at the 5:48 mark.
 
Miller would give SAU the lead three times on three straight possessions in a two and a half minute span; with the last one coming with 2:04 to play before Southern Arkansas iced the contest at the charity stripe. Miller added a pair of free throws and Bryant connected on 5-of-6 attempts in the final two minutes as SAU won by five.
 
Along with her double-double, Bryant added two blocks and a pair of steals to her already heavy stat line in just 26 minutes of action. Miller's 20 resulted from 9-of-14 shooting in 25 minutes off of the bench.
 
With three games remaining, Southern Arkansas returns to the road as they make the lengthy trip to Alva, Oklahoma for a GAC matchup with Northwestern Oklahoma St. on Thursday, February 19 at 5:30 p.m.