MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Shana Holmes scored 21 points, while Rosa Bryant and Caroline Ficher each added 15 points to lead Southern Arkansas past East Central, 70-59, on Thursday night inside the W.T. Watson Center.
 
The win gives the Lady Muleriders (12-4, 8-4 GAC) the regular-season sweep of ECU (6-10, 6-6 GAC) having previously topped the Lady Tigers 63-59 in Ada, Oklahoma, on November 19, in the Great American Conference opener for both teams. It also gives SAU their second 12-win season since 2007-08.
 
Holmes' 21 points came on an efficient 7-of-9 shooting, and Bryant added her 13^th double-double of the season with a dozen rebounds while Ficher set a career-high 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
 
SAU led 21-12 after one quarter of action and pushed their lead to double-figures at the break with a 38-28 lead. Up by five, late in the first quarter, Ficher sparked SAU with a quick eight points in 70 seconds that came via a pair of free throws and back-to-back three pointers that helped push SAU out front.
 
East Central managed to cut their deficit to nine with 2:51 to play in the third-quarter, but a 7-2 Lady Mulerider run closed the quarter as SAU took a 56-42 lead into the fourth quarter and suppressed an ECU rally to pick up their eighth GAC win; the second time since 2007-08 that SAU has recorded eight conference wins.
 
The Lady Tigers outscored Southern Arkansas 24-11 in points off turnovers and the ECU bench scored 18 more points (25-7) than the Lady Mulerider bench, but SAU recorded a +20 scoring margin in the paint (34-14).
 
Shunta Nevitt recorded a season-high five blocks and Bryant added three assists and three steals, while Holmes collected a pair of steals and two assists.
 
The win keeps the Lady Muleriders among the top-three spots in the Great American Conference standings as they currently sit in a tie for third-place with Henderson State. Southern Arkansas will welcome in Southeastern Oklahoma State (7-11, 5-7 GAC) on Saturday, January 30, for a 1 p.m. tip-off inside the W.T. Watson Center.
 
Be sure to visit muleriderathletics.com for continuing coverage of Lady Mulerider basketball including pregame and postgame updates and the coach's show with head coach Julio Pacheco.