MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas Mulerider Basketball team will welcome in Arkansas-Monticello on Monday evening for a Great American Conference "Rivalry Monday" showdown inside the W.T. Watson Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
 
The Muleriders (12-11, 9-8 GAC) defeated the Weevils 87-82 in overtime on January 18 in Monticello. Southern Arkansas welcomes in an Arkansas-Monticello team (7-16, 5-12 GAC) that suffered a pair of four-point losses last weekend to Harding and Henderson State.  
 
With six games remaining on the regular season schedule, SAU will benefit from playing five of those games inside the W.T. Watson Center. The Muleriders currently sit in a tie for fifth-place with Southern Nazarene in the latest GAC standings, while UAM is currently tied for tenth with Henderson State.
 
SAU averages 75.7 points per game, while Arkansas-Monticello scores 73.8 points per contest. Southern Arkansas shoots at the third-best percentage in the league at 45.9%, while the Weevils shoot just over 44% from the floor. The Muleriders average 11.5 assists per game and 6.0 steals per game, while Arkansas-Monticello produces 12.3 assists per game and 5.7 steals per game. The Muleriders boast the highest rebounding offense at 40.8 per game, while also owning the league's best field goal percentage defense at 42.6% per contest.
 
Offensively, Southern Arkansas has been sparked lately by the performance of De'Sean Dockery who has averaged 12.3 points per game over his last six games, while Denarious Lockhart averages 10.5 points per game and has averaged 11.2 rebounds over his last six games. Jaron Davis leads the Muleriders in scoring at 13.3 points per contest, in assists at 4.1 per game and in steals at 1.3 steals per game. Alvin Braddock leads SAU in rebounding with 6.4 boards per game, while he and Tony Aska average a combined 1.3 blocks per game.
 
For Arkansas-Monticello, they are led by Richard Benedyth who scores at a clip of 15.2 points per game, while collecting 3.3 assists per contest, and Jamal Peterson adds 13.5 points per game and 3.0 assists per contest. Andre Brown leads the GAC in rebounding with 8.9 rebounds per game. Both Benedyth and Peterson place in the league's top-ten in minutes per game as both players average just shy of 33 minutes of work per outing.
 
For complete league, team and individual statistics, follow this link: http://greatamericanconference.com/custompages/MBK%20Stats/2015-16/CONFSTAT.HTM?path=Mbball.  
 
Live stats will be available for tonight's game here: http://www.sidearmstats.com/saumag/mbball/. Fans can also follow via live video (http://livestream.com/accounts/10140781) and live audio (http://bit.ly/1Tsc86R).
 
Be sure to visit muleriderathletics.com for continuing coverage of Mulerider basketball including pregame and postgame updates and the coach's show with head coach Andy Sharpe.