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GAME NOTES | SAU | ECU

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Tipping Off
The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team continues its three-game home stand and is set to play the middle game of that set against East Central. Earlier this season,
these two teams met and were each other's first conference games of the year. In that first meeting, SAU would come away with a 15-point road win, beating ECU 85-70.
Coming into tonight's game, ECU is one game back of first-place in the GAC while the Muleriders are currently tied for fifth-place in the league. 

Tonight's game also marks the start of the second-half of the GAC schedule for all teams as each team has played the other 11 member schools at least once thus far.
 

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MULERIDER NEWS & NOTES
The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team enters play this Thursday with a 9-8 overall record and a 6-5 mark in the Great American Conference. The Muleriders will be looking to get back to their winning ways as they have lost their last two games, but in their last seven games, the Muleriders are 5-2.

On the season, the Muleriders are averaging 77.2 points per game, which ranks fifth in the GAC. Defensively, the Muleriders rank eighth in scoring defense in the GAC at 75.7 points per game, and their +1.5 scoring margin ranks fifth in the league.

As a team, the Muleriders are shooting .464 (489-of-1053) overall from the floor which includes a shooting mark of .336 (113-of-336) from long range. From the free throw line, the Muleriders are shooting .631 (222-of-352). Their overall field goal percentage ranks third in the GAC while their 3-point field goal percentage ranks 11th. At the charity stripe the Muleriders' percentage ranks 12th.

Individually, the Muleriders have five players who are averaging double figures in scoring with Jaron Davis leading the team at 15.4 points per game. Davis's scoring average ranks 12th in the GAC. Deon Andrews is next on the team at 11.9 ppg. CJ Elkins also is averaging 11.9 ppg. Denarious Lockhart is next with 11.8 ppg. and rounding out
double-figure scoring on the season is Alvin Braddock at 10.4 ppg.

The leading rebounder on the team in terms of rebounding average in Lockhart with 6.8 rpg through nine games played. Braddock, however, leads the team in total rebounds with 107. Davis is the top assist man on the team with an average of 4.6 assists per game.

COACH
The Muleriders are coached by Andy Sharpe, who is in his fourth season at Southern Arkansas. In his time at SAU, Sharpe has amassed a 41-51 overall record. Last season Sharpe led SAU to a 15-12 overall record and finished tied for third in the GAC with an 11-9 mark in the league. The above .500 season was the program's first winning campaign since the 2001-02 season, while the 15 wins overall tied for the second-most wins in a season since SAU joined NCAA Division II prior to the 1995-96 season. Additionally, the 11 conference wins were the most in the DII era.
 

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SCOUTING EAST CENTRAL
The East Central men's basketball team enters play this Thursday with a 12-5 overall record and an 8-3 mark in the Great American Conference. The Tigers are coming off of a loss in their most-recent game, a 71-66 score on the road at Northwestern Oklahoma. On the season, the Tigers are averaging 83.9 points per game, which ranks first in the GAC. Defensively, the Tigers rank sixth in scoring defense in the GAC at 75.5 points per game, and their +8.4 scoring margin ranks first in the league.

As a team, the Tigers are shooting .468 (481-of-975) overall from the floor which includes a shooting mark of .365 (148-of-406) from long range. From the free throw line, the Tigers are shooting .709 (316-of-446). Their overall field goal percentage ranks second in the GAC while their 3-point field goal percentage ranks sixth. At the charity stripe the Tigers' percentage ranks fifth.

Individually, the Tigers have three players who are averaging double figures in scoring with Sterling Thomas leading the team at 20.9 points per game. Thomas' scoring average ranks first in the GAC. Braxton Reeves is next in double figures on the team at 15.5 ppg. Ishmael Donzo rounds out double-digit scoring at 10.5 ppg.

Donzo is the leading rebounder on the team at 6.7 rebounds per game. Deron Hill is the top assist man on the team with an average of 3.1 assists per game.

COACH
The Tigers are coached by Ja Havens, who is in his third year at East Central. In his previous two seasons, Havens has amassed a 36-22 overall record and has led the Tigers to a winning season in each campaign. Last year, Havens led the Tigers to a 21-10 record.
 

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THE SERIES
This will be the 15th meeting since the beginning of the 1997-1998 season between the Muleriders and the Tigers. In that time, Tigers hold an 8-6 lead in the series. Additionally, this will be the second meeting this season with the first matchup going to SAU, 85-70 in Ada.

ON TAP
The Muleriders will conclude their three-game home stand on Saturday as they welcome in the Savage Storm of Southeastern Oklahoma. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 3 p.m. inside the W.T. Watson Center.