ADA, Okla. – The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team held a three-point lead with just over 10 minutes left in the second half, but the remainder of the game, the East Central Tigers pulled away from the Muleriders thanks, in part, to 5-of-7 shooting from long range, while also converting on 17-of-19 opportunities from the free throw line.
 
RECORDS
Southern Arkansas Muleriders (8-11, 6-7 GAC)
East Central Tigers (14-5, 10-3 GAC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Muleriders found themselves playing from behind most of the first half and faced double-digit deficits on a couple of occasions. SAU was resilient, however, fighting back each time, and with 1:26 left in the first half, the Muleriders grabbed a modest one-point lead thanks to a fast break layup by KJ Collins.
• The Tigers, however, scored the final four points of the half to take a three-point lead into the locker room, 36-33.
• Out of the break, East Central connected on a pair of three-pointers to surge out to a nine-point lead with 18:24 left on the clock. As they did in the first half, however, the Muleriders were valiant and kept the game within reach.
• Trailing by five points, 53-48, with 11:44 on the clock, the Muleriders went on an 8-0 run over the next 1:42 to take a three-point lead, 56-53, with 10:03 to go. Fueling most of that run for SAU was Keeton Tennison as he buried a pair of three-pointers. Denarious Lockhart accounted for other two points as he had a layup to cap the run.
• The two teams then traded missed shots and then a foul to Ben Brown-White with 9:13 left got the wheels in motion for what was ECU's break away from SAU. Brown-White made both free throws, and on their next offensive possession, ECU got a three-pointer from Cameron Tally to give the Tigers a two-point lead, 58-56.
• The Tigers did not surrender that lead the rest of the way out, and that three-ball by Tally were his first points of the game, but he was one of the driving forces to the Tigers' ability to pull away from SAU as went on to close out the remainder of the game with 18 more points to end with 21.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Muleriders had five players reach double figures with Keeton Tennison leading the way with 18 points. Most of Tennison's production came from beyond the arc as he buried five, a single-game career best. Additionally, Tennison's 18 points matched a career-high.
• Joining Tennison in double figures was Darnell Jones-Bowie with 13 points, De'Sean Dockery with 11 points and KJ Collins and Denarious Lockhart with 10 points each as well.

 
UP NEXT
The Muleriders will now return home for a pair of critical Great American Conference games they welcome in Northwestern Oklahoma on Thursday and Southwestern Oklahoma on Saturday. Tip-off for the game against Northwestern is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and Saturday's game with SWOSU is tabbed for a 3 p.m. start.