LANCASTER, Texas. – Junior guard
CJ Elkins led five Muleriders in double-figure scoring with 16 points in a double-double effort and Southern Arkansas sank seven second-half three-pointers as they erased a slim three-point halftime deficit to roll past Minnesota State-Moorhead for their first win of the season on Saturday afternoon at the GAC/NSIC Crossover Challenge in Lancaster, Texas.
RECORDS
Minnesota State-Moorhead (0-2)
Southern Arkansas Muleriders (1-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Muleriders scored first less than 30 seconds into the game and a back and forth affair developed from that point on.
- From the 10:55 mark through the two minute mark of the first half, Southern Arkansas would not trail. MSU-Moorhead would take their sixth lead of the first half into the intermission, 41-38, after a successful three-pointer with 34 seconds left.
- The Dragon lead would grow to five at the 17:12 mark of the second half but would be cut down to a bucket deficit after the Muleriders' first of seven three pointers in the half was knocked down by Quinton Gillette.
- By the 12:29 mark of the second half, the Muleriders had tied the game at 50 courtesy of a pair of free throws and an inside basket from Wesley Nosakhare.
- Following that bucket from Nosakhare, the Muleriders didn't look back as a 24-10 run pushed the lead to 14 points at the 6:58 mark which was highlighted by five trifectas and an impressive finish on a bucket-plus-the-harm play by Devante Brooks.
- The lead would get as high as 18 and would not get closer than 14 down the stretch as the Muleriders claimed their first win of the season and an important in-region victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Southern Arkansas shot 45% (32-of-71) from the floor and posted a 42% mark (8-of-19) from three-point range including the aforementioned seven second-half trifectas as the Muleriders outscored the Dragons by 18 points in the final twenty minutes of play.
- SAU scored 34 points inside and benefitted from superb bench play as nonstarters tallied 34 points in the win.
- SAU turned a dozen Dragon turnovers into 13 points, while 17 of their points came in a second-chance opportunity.
- The Muleriders grabbed 50 total rebounds with 18 coming off of the offensive glass, while six players recorded four or more.
- Elkins added a game-high 11 rebounds to his stat line as he recorded the second double-double of his career. Elkins was 7-of-19 shooting from the floor in 23 minutes of action.
- Draylan Perkins again scored in double figures as he followed with 15 points on 50% shooting overall including a 3-of-5 mark from beyond the arc. He added four rebounds, an assist and one steal in a team-high 32 minutes.
- Nosakhare added ten points, as did Charlie Thomas and Lukas Hart, and the former finished a rebound shy of a double-double effort, while playing just 14 minutes. Brooks finished with nine points.
UP NEXT
The Muleriders return to action on November 16 and will open Great American Conference play on the road against Southern Nazarene. Tip-off from Bethany, Oklahoma, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Live coverage links are available at:
http://muleriderathletics.com/coverage.aspx.
