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GAME NOTES | SAU | SNU |

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Tipping Off
The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team welcomed in the new year in a big was as they picked up an impressive 78-67 win on the road at Oklahoma Baptist in their
first action of 2016. The win also snapped a season-long four-game losing streak for the Muleriders.

Following that big win, the Muleriders will look to make it a very successful second trip through Oklahoma as they are set to take on Southern Nazarene on Saturday afternoon. A win in Bethany will likely not come easily and historically it has not been done by the Muleriders as they enter play 0-3 at Southern Nazarene.

The matchup figures to be a high-scoring affair as the two teams are the third and fourth-highest scoring offenses in the GAC with each averaging over 75 points per game.
Additionally, the game will feature three of the top-10 individual scorers in the GAC in CJ Rodriguez (18.1, 3rd), Jaron Davis (17.3, 6th) and LB Willis (15.9, 10th).
 

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MULERIDER NEWS & NOTES
The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team enters play this Saturday with a 5-6 overall record and a 2-3 mark in the Great American Conference. The Muleriders are coming of an impressive road win at Oklahoma Baptist in their most-recent game and in the process snapped a season-long four-game losing streak.

On the season, the Muleriders are averaging 77.5 points per game, which ranks fourth in the GAC. Defensively, the Muleriders rank sixth in scoring defense in the GAC at 74.5 points per game, and their +3.0 scoring margin ranks fifth in the league.

As a team, the Muleriders are shooting .450 (312-of-694) overall from the floor which includes a shooting mark of .349 (82-of-235) from long range. From the free throw line, the Muleriders are shooting .648 (147-of-227). Their overall field goal percentage ranks third in the GAC while their 3-point field goal percentage ranks seventh. At the charity stripe the Muleriders' percentage ranks 11th.

Individually, the Muleriders have four players who are averaging double figures in scoring with Jaron Davis leading the team at 17.3 points per game. Davis's scoring average ranks sixth in the GAC. Deon Andrews is next on the team at 13.5 ppg and just behind Andrews is Denarious Lockhart with 12.7 ppg . Rounding out double-figure scoring
on the season is CJ Elkins at 12.1 ppg.

The leading rebounder on the team in terms of rebounding average in Lockhart with 9.0 rpg through three games played. Alvin Braddock, however, leads the team in total rebounds with 73. Davis is the top assist man on the team with an average of 4.9 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 SOUTHERN NAZARENE
The Southern Nazarene men's basketball team enters play this Saturday with a 4-7 overall record and a 3-2 mark in the Great American Conference. The Crimson Storm are coming off of a win in their last game, an 80-64 defeat of Arkansas-Monticello. With that win, the Crimson Storm remain unbeaten at home as they are now 3-0 inside the Sawyer Center.

On the season, the Crimson Storm are averaging 78.1 points per game, which ranks third in the GAC. Defensively, the Crimson Storm rank 11th in scoring defense in the GAC at 81.8 points per game, and their -3.7 scoring margin ranks 10th in the league.

As a team, the Crimson Storm are shooting .435 (286-of-658) overall from the floor which includes a shooting mark of .388 (106-of-273) from long range. From the free throw line, the Crimson Storm are shooting .673 (181-of-269). Their overall field goal percentage ranks ninth in the GAC while their 3-point field goal percentage ranks third. At the charity stripe the Crimson Storm's percentage ranks ninth.

Individually, the Crimson Storm have two players who are averaging double figures in scoring with CJ Rodriguez leading the team at 18.1 points per game. Rodriguez's scoring average ranks third in the GAC. LB Willis is the other in double figures on the team at 15.9 ppg . Four other Crimson Storm players are averaging at least 9.3 points per game as well.

C.J. White is the leading rebounder on the team at 5.8 rebounds per game. Willis is the top assist man on the team with an average of 4.0 assists per game.

COACH
The Crimson Storm are coached by Adam Bohac, who is in his eighth season at Southern Nazarene. In his previous seven seasons, Bohac has amassed a 142-79 overall record and has won 20 or more games four times.
 

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THE SERIES
This will be the seventh meeting all-time between the Muleriders and Crimson Storm. In the six previous contests, SNU has come out on top in each contest.

ON TAP
The Muleriders will return back to Magnolia for their first home game in over a month as they welcome in Henderson State for a GAC clash on Thursday, January 14. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.