ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Trailing by three late in the fourth quarter in a Great American Conference affair that they had yet to gain a lead in, the Southern Arkansas Lady Mulerider Basketball team engineered a 14-1 run over the game's final 4:57 to top Henderson State 60-47 on the road inside the Duke Wells Center on Thursday evening.
 
The Lady Muleriders (14-6, 10-6 GAC) pick up their 14^th win of the season giving the program their most wins since the 2006-07 campaign when that year's team finished .500 at 14-14. SAU's ten conference wins so far this season are the most in its twenty-year history as a NCAA Division II program. The victory also puts SAU into a tie for third place in the GAC Standings with Southwestern Oklahoma State with six regular season games remaining.
 
Down 43-35 at the start of the fourth quarter, a 6-0 SAU run tied the contest at 43. Caroline Ficher knocked down a jumper to get the run started and Rosa Bryant followed with a layup moments later to pull the Lady Muleriders to within four, 43-39. A pair of free throws from Tierra Tucker at the 7:34 mark of the final quarter brought SAU to within a possession.
 
A Henderson State turnover on the next possession resulted in a home timeout, before Bryant cashed in with a jumper at the 7:05 mark that tied the low-scoring affair at 43.
 
Shana Holmes connected on a three-pointer with just under six minutes to play, giving Southern Arkansas their first lead of the night. HSU answered quickly as Moe Bedford scored inside the arc and Dulincia Keener converted one of two free attempts as the Reddies tied the game at 46 with 5:17 remaining; setting up the aforementioned 14-1 run that closed out the league contest. Bedford's field goal would be the last for the Reddies down the stretch.
 
Ficher produced eight points in the final five minutes, including a three-point field goal with 3:16 left that increased Southern Arkansas' advantage to nine, 55-46. Bryant, Holmes and Tucker added a bucket each that helped spur the Lady Mulerider late fourth quarter rally.
 
Bryant led Southern Arkansas with a game-high 16 points, while adding thirteen rebounds as she recorded her fifteenth double-double of the year. Ficher and Holmes each followed with 14 points apiece, while Tucker added ten. The Lady Muleriders didn't lead until they sparked the 14-1 run, as HSU lead for 30:51. Southern Arkansas forced 26 turnovers that they turned into 26 points, while the Reddies only added six points off of SAU's 15 turnovers.
 
Southern Arkansas returns to the court on Saturday, February 13, for a GAC matchup with #15 Arkansas Tech, scheduled for 1 p.m. inside the W.T. Watson Center. Saturday's game will be the first of five remaining home games left for the Lady Muleriders as their only road trip remaining is a February 18 showdown in Searcy with Harding.
 
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.