MAGNOLIA, Ark. – A three-pointer by freshman Kory Westerman with 45 seconds to play in regulation forced overtime in Monday afternoon's non-conference, in-region affair with Northeastern State (4-7), and the Lady Muleriders (3-5) manufactured a 16-8 advantage in extra period to knock down the RiverHawks, 73-65, after a gritty, balanced effort by Southern Arkansas inside the W.T. Watson Center.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 

• Northeastern State led 18-11 with three minutes to play in the first quarter and Southern Arkansas answered in consecutive trips down the court beginning with a running jumper from Westerman and followed by a three-point shot from senior Caroline Ficher that was set up on a steal from Jaida Harden and an assist from Westerman as SAU cut their deficit to just two, 18-16, after the opening quarter.
• The Lady Muleriders outscored the RiverHawks in only one quarter of regulation on Monday and it was an 11-point difference in the second ten minutes of action that proved to be the difference for SAU down the stretch.
• Southern Arkansas led 33-26 at the intermission courtesy of a 17-8 output in the second quarter highlighted by seven different Lady Muleriders scoring at least a point.
• After the break, back-to-back three-pointers by SAU to open the third quarter pushed the Lady Mulerider lead to 13, 39-26, before NSU connected on five triple tries in the quarter to pull within a basket entering the fourth quarter of play. Southern Arkansas' perimeter defense played a key part in the victory as they held the RiverHawks to a pair of three-pointers in the first, fourth and overtime periods, while forcing NSU to a 0-for-5 clip in SAU's pivotal second quarter run.
• Consecutive baskets in the paint for NSU erased a slim single-point lead for Southern Arkansas with three and half minutes remaining in regulation. Northeastern's Cailyn Long was unable to connect on a three-point attempt at the 1:16 mark that would have put NSU ahead by six.
• With just under a minute to play, a three-point attempt from Westerman rimmed out, but a hustle rebound by Harden allowed SAU to reset after a called timeout. Sophomore Jasmyn Eckerman found Westerman again and the rookie reloaded for the game-tying basket sending a thin W.T. Watson Center into a frenzy. Eckerman forced a steal with less than three seconds remaining to end the RiverHawk threat, forcing overtime.
• SAU led 63-60 after the first two minutes of overtime due in large part to a pair of offensive rebounds and successful put backs by senior Faith Rolen and the Lady Muleriders used that momentum to seal the contest at the charity stripe as Westerman and classmate Erin Brinkley each converted a pair of free-throw attempts with under 40 seconds to play.

 
FOR SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
 

• Westerman registered her second-straight dozen point game and third double-digit scoring output of her career to led Southern Arkansas in scoring. Senior Makaila Jordan followed with ten points on 3-of-4 shooting from deep and underclassmen Jasmyn Eckerman and Erin Brinkley combined for 17 points; over half of SAU's 33 bench points in the victory.
• A trio of Lady Muleriders in Aaliyah Holmes, Kimberly Crown and Harden collected seven points each and Rolen finished with six.
• Eckerman and Alyssa Hamilton each grabbed a team-high five rebounds and Holmes joined the former two as the trio added a pair of steals each. Harden and Holmes collected three assists apiece.
• In her first career start, Holmes played a team-high 39 minutes in the win.

 
FOR THE OPPOSITION
 

• Northeastern State saw four players score in double figures led by Kylie Looney's 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc. Mary Jane Buschmann added 14, Cailyn Long followed with 11 and Rylie Torrey rounded out double-digit scoring with ten.
• Long led the RiverHawks with seven rebounds, while three other players recorded five boards each.
• Miranda Griffin produced a game-high four assists and a team-high three steals.

 
OF NOTE
 

• The aforementioned balanced effort came in a clean way as Southern Arkansas committed a season-low 13 fouls; giving Northeastern State just twelve attempts from the free-throw line; the fewest allowed by SAU through the first eight games.
• SAU outscored NSU in points off turnovers (26-14), including a +7 margin in overtime, bench points (33-6) and points in the paint (32-20 | 10-2 in overtime).
• The Lady Muleriders committed a season-low 13 turnovers that the RiverHawks turned into 14 points.
• Southern Arkansas' 73 points are a season-high and mark the first time the team eclipsed the 70-point mark this season. SAU also registered team season-highs in shots made (27), field goal percentage (.450) and assists (15).
• Monday's overtime affair saw a dozen lead changes and six tied scores.
• The last overtime game SAU played was on February 25, 2016 in a 91-88 loss to Oklahoma Baptist in Magnolia. The last time Southern Arkansas won an overtime contest was on January 4, 2014 in an 84-83 home win over East Central.

 
UP NEXT
 

• Southern Arkansas concluded play in 2016 and will return to action for the first time in 2017 on Thursday, January 5, for the first of 18-straight Great American Conference games beginning with Oklahoma Baptist at 5:30 p.m. inside the W.T. Watson Center in Magnolia.
• Live stats for the contest can be found here: http://www.sidearmstats.com/saumag/wbball.
• Live video will also be provided: https://livestream.com/accounts/10140781.
• Be sure to visit muleriderathletics.com for continuing coverage of Lady Mulerider Basketball including pre- and post-game updates, weekly notes, and the coach's show with Head Coach Julio Pacheco.
• Merry Christmas J & Happy New Year!