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GAME NOTES | SAU | HSU | ATU

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Tipping Off
The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team is set to enter in to the stretch run of their 2015-16 regular season schedule as they will once again play five games in the span of 10 days with their final two games of the regular season to follow the week after.

During this stretch run, the Muleriders will be looking to take advantage of a back-loaded home schedule as five of their remaining seven regular season games are at the W.T. Watson Center.

This five-game in 10-days go-round will see the Muleriders play on the road at Henderson State this Thursday and then host home games against Arkansas Tech this Saturday and Arkansas-Monticello on the following Monday.

In all three of those game, the Muleriders will also be looking to complete season sweeps as they were victorious in the first meetings.
 

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MULERIDER NEWS & NOTES
The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team enters play this weekend with an 11-10 overall record and an 8-7 mark in the Great American Conference. The Muleriders are coming off an up and down weekend as they picked up a last-second win on the road at Northwestern Oklahoma last Thursday, but suffered a last-second defeat at Southwestern Oklahoma on Saturday.

On the season, the Muleriders are averaging 75.4 points per game, which ranks seventh in the GAC. Defensively, the Muleriders rank fourth in scoring defense in the GAC at 73.9 points per game, and their +1.5 scoring margin ranks fifth in the league.

As a team, the Muleriders are shooting .460 (591-of-1,286) overall from the floor which includes a shooting mark of .334 (129-of-386) from long range. From the free throw line, the Muleriders are shooting .618 (272-of-440). Their overall field goal percentage ranks third in the GAC while their 3-point field goal percentage ranks 10th. At the charity stripe the Muleriders' percentage ranks 12th.

Individually, the Muleriders have four players who are averaging double figures in scoring with Jaron Davis leading the team at 14.2 points per game. Davis's scoring average ranks 16th in the GAC. CJ Elkins is next on the team at 11.4 ppg. Deon Andrews is just behind Elkins averaging 11.3 ppg. Rounding out double-figure scoring on the season is Alvin Braddock at 10.0 ppg.

The leading rebounder on the team in terms of rebounding average in Lockhart with 7.7 rpg through 13 games played. Braddock, however, leads the team in total rebounds with 135. Davis is the top assist man on the team with an average of 4.4 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 HENDERSON STATE
The Henderson State men's basketball team enters play this weekend with a 5-15 overall record and a 4-11 mark in the Great American Conference. The Reddies have lost their last two games, both on the road as they fell to East Central and Southeastern Oklahoma last weekend.

On the season, the Reddies are averaging 67.6 points per game, which ranks 12th in the GAC. Defensively, the Reddies rank 1st in scoring defense in the GAC at 71.3 points per game, and their -3.8 scoring margin ranks 10th in the league.

As a team, the Reddies are shooting .424 (475-of-1,119) overall from the floor which includes a shooting mark of .372 (128-of-344) from long range. From the free throw line, the Reddies are shooting .647 (273-of-422). Their overall field goal percentage ranks 11th in the GAC while their 3-point field goal percentage ranks fifth. At the charity stripe the Reddies' percentage ranks 11th.

Individually, the Reddies have two players who are averaging double figures in scoring with Kaylon Tappin leading the team at 14.3 points per game. Kevin Kozan rounds out double-digit scoring at 13.1 ppg. while Tavian Pomlee is just outside that mark at 9.9 ppg. Alioune Mboup is the leading rebounder on the team at 5.4 rebounds per game. Eric Dailey is the top assist man on the team with an average of 2.3 assists per game.

COACH
The Reddies are coached by Jimmy Elgas, who is in his first season at Henderson State. Prior to becoming head coach at Henderson, Elgas was the top assistant at the University of Evansville. While at Evansville, Eglas helped lead the Aces to five post-season appearances.

THE SERIES
This will be the 41st meeting since the beginning of the 1997-1998 season between the Muleriders and the Reddies. In that time, the Reddies hold a 26-14 advantage, including a 9-5 lead in games played in Arkadelphia. SAU, however, has won two of the last three games in the series.
 

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SCOUTING ARKANSAS TECH
The Arkansas Tech men's basketball team enters play this weekend with an 11-10 overall record and a 6-9 mark in the Great American Conference. The Wonder Boys are coming off a loss in their last game played as they fell by four points on the road at Southern Nazarene.

On the season, the Wonder Boys are averaging 75.5 points per game, which ranks sixth in the GAC. Defensively, the Wonder Boys rank eighth in scoring defense in the GAC at 75.4 points per game, and their +0.1 scoring margin ranks sixth in the league.

As a team, the Wonder Boys are shooting .450 (554-of-1,231) overall from the floor which includes a shooting mark of .335 (168-of-501) from long range. From the free throw line, the Wonder Boys are shooting .682 (309-of-435). Their overall field goal percentage ranks fifth in the GAC while their 3-point field goal percentage ranks ninth. At the charity stripe the Wonder Boys' percentage ranks fifth.

Individually, the Wonder Boys have three players who are averaging double figures in scoring with Marquis Yates leading the team at 16.7 points per game. Tyler Corley is next at 12.2 ppg. Andrew Gullory rounds out double-digit scoring at 11.8 ppg. while Thomas Alexander is just outside that mark at 9.1 ppg.

Nick Wayman is the leading rebounder on the team at 4.9 rebounds per game. Freddy Lee is the top assist man on the team with an average of 2.9 assists per game.

COACH
The Wonder Boys are coached by Chad Kline, who is in his second season at Arkansas Tech. In his first season at the helm, Kline led the Wonder Boys to an 18-14 overall record which was highlighted by a GAC Conference Tournament Championship. Prior to being named the head coach at Tech, Kline was an assistant coach in the program for three years under former head man Doug Karleskint.

THE SERIES
This will be the 39th meeting since the beginning of the 1997-1998 season between the Muleriders and the Wonder Boys. In that time, the Wonder Boys hold a 24-14 advantage over SAU, but the Muleriders have won three of the last five meetings including each of the last two.
 

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ON TAP
The Muleriders will have a quick turnaround from their two games this weekend as they will host Arkansas-Monticello on Monday, February 15. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.