GAME NOTES

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team is set for their fourth trip in as many years to the Great American Conference Tournament, which will tip-off at noon on Friday, March 6 from Bruin Fieldhouse in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
 
The Muleriders enter conference postseason play as the third-seed after posting a 15-11 overall record along with an 11-9 mark in GAC play. The 11 conference wins are the most for a Southern Arkansas team in the NCAA Division II era. Southern Arkansas will begin play with the first game of the tournament; a noon tip-off with sixth-seeded Harding (13-13, 11-9 GAC). Both teams earned home wins in the season series.
 
Joining SAU in Bartlesville are seven teams that all finished with nine or more conference wins, making for a very competitive field. Southern Arkansas split the season series with the two teams seeded above them; GAC regular season champion Ouachita Baptist and East Central.
 
After a 71-64 December 15 loss to Texas A&M-Commerce, the Muleriders won 10 out of their next 12 games, including eight in a row while defeating opponents by an average of 13.4 points a contest. Adversity hit in February as the Muleriders battled key injuries and posted a 2-5 mark, but their losses were by an average of only seven points per game.
 
On the year, Southern Arkansas produced the fourth-best scoring output in the GAC averaging just over 77.0 ppg and ranked first and second in defensive (28.1 rpg) and offensive (12.8 rpg) rebounds respectively. Leading that attack were big men Alre'k Brown (8.3 rpg) and Kevin Jordan (7.8 rpg) who finished the regular season fourth and sixth respectively in the GAC in rebounding. 
 
Junior guard Jaron Davis led Southern Arkansas in scoring by averaging 16.4 ppg, fifth-best in the GAC, while seniors Chauncy Williams (13.6 ppg) and Alre'k Brown (13.2 ppg) rank 16^th and 17^th respectively. Tyrell Taylor ranks third in the conference in assists per game (3.9), while Davis had the seventh-best output at 3.7 apg. Additionally, Davis is second in the league in steals per game at 1.9.
 
Last year's 63-59 upset victory for SAU over second-seeded Southwestern Oklahoma State marked the program's first conference tournament victory since an opening-round win over Alabama-Huntsville in the 1999-2000 Gulf South Conference Tournament.
 
Southern Arkansas looks to build upon that tournament success as they begin their quest for a conference title on Friday, March 6 at noon.
 
For fans interested in making the trip to support the Lady Muleriders and Muleriders, check out http://greatamericanconference.com/sports/2015/2/5/BKB_0205154723.aspx for ticket information, brackets, directions, and tournament merchandise.