SOUTHERN ARKANSAS MULERIDERS (14-10, 10-8 GAC)	ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO BOLL WEEVILS (7-16, 3-15 GAC)
Thursday, February 26 | 7:30 P.M. W.T. Watson Center | Magnolia, Ark. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO

 

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GAME NOTES | SAU | UAM

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SETTING THE STAGE
The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team takes to the road for their longest road trip of the season as they head to Alva, Okla. to take on Northwestern Oklahoma in their lone action this week. Depsite dropping their last three games, the Muleriders are still within a half game of second-place and have already clinched a berth into the Great American Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, which will be held in the first week of March.

SCOUTING ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO
The Arkansas-Monticello men's basketball team enters play with a 7-16 overall record and are 3-15 in the GAC. The Boll Weevils have dropped their last three games and come to SAU with a 2-8 road record this season.

Statistically, the Boll Weevils are averaging 76.0 points per game and are shooting 44% (633-of-1,430) overall from the floor. Their scoring per game ranks fifth in the GAC while their shooting percentage ranks sixth in the league. Currently four Boll Weevils are averaging double figures in scoring, with Sharif Hudson leading the way at 15.5 ppg. Next in scoring is Richard Benedyth at 13.5 ppg and Jamal Peterson at 12.6 ppg. Cameron Blue rounds out double-figure scoring at 10.7 ppg.

As a team, the Boll Weevils rank 10th in the GAC in shooting from beyond the arc at 31% (136-of-439) and are fifth in the league at the free throw line at 69% (346-of-499).

Defensively, the Boll Weevils are allowing their opponents to score an average of 78.9 points per game while also allowing a 48% (668-of-1,407) success rate from the floor. Their opponents' points per game average is 11th in the GAC and their -2.9 scoring margin ranks 10th.

In terms of rebounding, the Boll Weevils rank fifth in the GAC with 36.9 boards per game. On the other end of the court, the Boll Weevils are allowing 37.2 boards per game and their -0.3 rebounding margin ranks sixth in the GAC.

As far as steals and assists, the Boll Weevils rank fourth and 10th in the respective categories. On the year, UAM is averaging 7.2 steals per game while averaging 11.6 assists.

COACH
The Boll Weevils are coached by Kyle Tolin, who is in his first season at UAM. Also in his first season as a head coach at the collegiate level, Tolin came to UAM from NAIA-national powerhouse Oklahoma Baptist. All told, Tolin spent 14 years at Oklahoma Baptist as he was a four-year player and then spent the previous 10 seasons as an assistant coach under his father, Doug Tolin. In each of those 14 years, Tolin helped lead the Bison to the NAIA National Tournament, winning it all in 2010.

LAST YEAR/LAST TIME OUT
The last time these two teams met up was just over a month ago in Monticello, and it was SAU who came away with a 92-89 win. The Muleriders had four players in double figures with Alre'k Brown leading the way with 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting. 

THE SERIES
This is the 32nd meeting since the 1999-00 season between Southern Arkansas and Arkansas-Monticello in a series that began in 1929. Since then, the two have played 165 times with the Muleriders holding a commanding 102-63 advantage in the all-time series. Since the 1999-00 season, however, UAM has taken charge of the series and are 18-13 in the 31 meetings in that time.

ON TAP
The Muleriders head to Arkadelphia on Saturday, February 28 for the regular season finale at Henderson State. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.
 

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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 nine 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 29-15 overall inside the W.T. Watson Center, including being 10-4 at home this season.

LEARNING TO WIN ON THE ROAD
As the Mulerider basketball program continues to build itself towards becoming a championshiplevel 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 7-26 overall on the road and 6-23 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 64 three-pointers in 20 games played (3.0 makes/game), which ranks him second in the GAC in three-point FG made.

BACK-TO-BACK GAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
One week after Chauncy Williams won GAC Co-Player of the Week, junior guard Jaron Davis made it back-to-back weeks for SAU basketball as he averaged 27.0 ppg and led the Muleriders to a pair of road GAC wins, propelling them into first-place.

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 had started the next 20 games at point guard for the Muleriders before not playing in SAU's recent three games. In his 20 starts, the Muleriders are 14-6 and Davis has been a scorer as well as a distributor as he his averaging 16.4 points per game and 3.8 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 18 games played thus far, Jordan, a 6-10 post presence, has averaged 21.9 minutes per game. In his time on the court, Jordan is averaging 5.8 points per game and 7.7 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 13.2 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game. His
.633 shooting percentage (107-of-169) ranks first on the team and second in the GAC.

CAREER WIN #200
On January 15, Southern Arkansas head men's basketball coach Andy Sharpe picked up his 200th career victory in SAU's 81-42 drubbing of Champion Baptist. Coach Sharpe is now in his third season at SAU and 10th season overall on the sidelines.

NEW GAC SCORING RECORD SET
The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team set a new Great American Conference record for points scored in a game against a GAC opponent as the Muleriders routed Arkansas Tech 109-80 on January 29.