LANCASTER, Texas – The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team picked up their first win of the season on Saturday evening as CJ Elkins' game-high 27 points helped SAU beat Minot State by a score of 82-74.
 
RECORDS
Southern Arkansas Muleriders (1-1)
Minot State Beavers (0-2)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The first half was closely contested with three tie scores and six lead changes, but despite the tight score, both teams went about their business in different ways as Minot asserted themselves inside and the Muleriders found success shooting from the perimeter
• 26 of Minot's 36 points in the first half came inside the paint while SAU buried nine 3-pointers in the first half to help take a 41-36 lead into the break
• Six of those 3-pointers by SAU in the first half were split by Darnell Jones-Bowie and De'Vonte Thornton as they each made a trio of trifectas
• In the second half SAU's outside shot went cold, converting on just 2-of-11 from long range, but consistent mid-range and inside scoring, plus down the stretch success at the free throw line kept SAU in a position to win
• Much like the first half, the second 20 minutes was mostly back-and-forth play as the score was tied twice and the lead changed hands a total of eight times
• The final of those lead changes went in favor of SAU and it came at the 7:50 mark as Denarious Lockhart layed one in off of an assist by Keeton Tennison. The Muleriders grabbed a one-point lead, 61-60, on that play and steadily over the next few minutes, SAU grabbed their largest lead of the second half, eight points, 70-62 with 3:52 remaining in regulation
• Consecutive three-pointers by Minot, however quickly made it a two-point game, 70-68, with just under three minutes on the clock
• The Muleriders made one more field goal the rest of the way out, a Lockhart layup with 2:19, as Minot forced SAU to beat them at the free throw line. The Muleriders rose up to that challenge and iced the game away by making 10-of-11 free throws over the final two minutes

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Elkins scored 18 of his 27 points in the second half. In that half, he was 6-of-9 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line
• Three other Muleriders scored in double figures with Jones-Bowie and Snyder Cenecharles each scoring 14 and Lockhart chipping in 10
• Overall there were five tie scores and 14 lead changes. Neither team led by more than single digits
• SAU was out-rebounded 39-30, but the Muleriders totaled all of the game's blocked shots with five

 
UP NEXT
The Muleriders will play in front of their home crowd for the first time this season as they jump right into Great American Conference play and welcome in East Central on Thursday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. inside the W.T. Watson Center.