By: By: Daniel Gallegos
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SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
MULERIDERS
1-1 (0-0 GAC)
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SOUTHERN NAZARENE
CRIMSON STORM
1-0 (0-0 GAC)
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OKLAHOMA BAPTIST
BISON
1-1 (0-0 GAC)
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GAME NOTES (PDF)
Tipping Off: Muleriders open conference slate this weekend at Southern Nazarene and Oklahoma Baptist
Just two games into the 2017-18 season and the Southern Arkansas Men's Basketball team will already have to face a pair of tough road tests within the Great American Conference with games at Southern Nazarene and Oklahoma Baptist on tap this Thursday and Saturday to open up GAC play.
The Muleriders are not strangers to hitting the road this year, however, as they played their first two games away from the W.T. Watson Center as part of the GAC/NSIC Crossover Challenge in Lancaster, Texas.
Last season, this trip to Bethany and Shawnee closed out the regular season for the Muleriders and saw a mixed result with a tough late defeat at Southern Nazarene, but a great bounce back triumph at Oklahoma Baptist.
In their first two games, the Muleriders received the usual production from All-GAC guard
CJ Elkins, but a pair of newcomers put together solid offensive weekends as well with Draylan Perkins and Wesley Nosakhare each scoring in double figures both games.
MULERIDER NEWS & NOTES
The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team enters play this weekend with a 1-1 overall record and will play their first GAC games of the season. The Muleriders lost their season-opener to Minot State 84-70, but bounced back quickly for an 87-72 win over Minnesota State-Moorhead the following day.
On the season, the Muleriders are averaging 78.5 points per game, which ranks fourth in the GAC. Defensively, the Muleriders rank ninth in scoring defense in the GAC at 78.0 points per game, and their +0.5 scoring margin ranks seventh in the league.
As a team, the Muleriders are shooting .442 (53-of-120) overall from the floor which includes a shooting mark of .412 (14-of-34) from long range. From the free throw line, the Muleriders are shooting .725 (37-of-51). Their overall field goal percentage ranks sixth in the GAC while their 3-point field goal percentage ranks third. At the charity stripe the Muleriders' percentage ranks sixth.
Individually, the Muleriders have three players who are averaging double figures in scoring with
CJ Elkins and Draylan Perkins leading the team at 16.5 points per game each. Wesley Nosakhare rounds out double figure scoring with a 15.5 ppg average.
The leading rebounder on the team early on is Elkins with 8.5 rpg. Aaron Lucas is the top assist man on the team with an average of 1.5 assists per game.
COACH
The Muleriders are coached by
Andy Sharpe, who is in his sixth season at Southern Arkansas. In his five seasons at SAU, Sharpe is 67-74.
Since the 2014-15 season, Sharpe has turned the Muleriders into serious contenders in the Great American Conference as SAU has won 35 conference games and have finished in the top half of the standings each year as well. The first two seasons in this recent stretch saw the Muleriders post consecutive winning seasons for the first time since the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons.
As far as post-season play is concerned, Sharpe has led the Muleriders to the GAC Tournament all five years at the helm and has advanced the team to the semi-finals twice with opening round wins in 2014 and 2016. Under Sharpe, SAU is one of only three schools that have made the GAC Tournament in five-consecutive seasons; joining Arkansas Tech and Harding.
SCOUTING SOUTHERN NAZARENE
The Southern Nazarene men's basketball team enters play this weekend with a 1-0 overall record and will be playing their first Great American Conference games, starting first with a Thursday match-up against the Muleriders. The Crimson Storm won their season-opening game, 69-55, against Southwestern College. In that game, the offense of Micah Speight and Noah Starkey carried the Crimson Storm as the two combined for 45 of the team's 69 points.
From that game, the Crimson Storm are shooting .433 (26-of-60) overall from the floor which includes a shooting mark of .316 (6-of-19) from long range. From the free throw line, the Crimson Storm are shooting .733 (11-of-15). Their overall field goal percentage ranks seventh in the GAC while their 3-point field goal percentage ranks in a tie for sixth. At the charity stripe the Crimson Storm's percentage ranks fifth.
So far this season, the Crimson Storm are averaging 69.0 points per game offensively, and are allowing 55.0 points per game defensively. Their points per game scoring ranks in a tie for eighth in the GAC while their scoring defense per game ranks in a tie for third in the league.
Currently two Crimson Storm players are averaging double-figures in scoring with Micah Speight leading the team at 26.0 points per game. Noah Starkey rounds out double figure scoring early on with a 19.0 ppg average. Starkey is the team's leading rebounder at 11.0 rebounds per game. Chris Stephens is the team's top assist man at 4.0 assists per game.
COACH
The Crimson Storm are coached by Adam Bohac, who is in his 10th season at Southern Nazarene. In his previous nine seasons, Bohac has amassed a 173-106 overall record and has won 20 or more games four times.
LAST YEAR/LAST TIME OUT
Last time out, Southern Nazarene used a huge second half to upend the Muleriders 68-64 in a game played in Bethany on February 23 of last year.
THE SERIES
This is the 11th meeting all-time between SAU and SNU. The two teams became conference opponents prior to the 2012-13 season and have met twice each year since. SNU began the series with six-straight wins and lead the series 8-2.
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA BAPTIST
The Oklahoma Baptist men's basketball team enters play this weekend with a 1-1 overall record and will be playing their first Great American Conference games this weekend beginning with a Thursday night meeting with Arkansas-Monticello. In the opening weekend, the Bison beat Southwest Baptist, 88-73, but lost to Lincoln 70-60. On the season, the Bison are averaging 74.0 points per game, which ranks fifth in the GAC. Defensively, the Bison are allowing 71.5 points per game, ranking their scoring defense fifth as well in the GAC. Their +2.5 scoring margin ranks fifth in the league.
As a team, the Bison are shooting .419 (49-of-117) overall from the floor which includes a shooting mark of .393 (24-of-61) from long range. From the free throw line, the Bison are shooting .765 (26-of-34). Their overall field goal percentage ranks eighth in the GAC while their 3-point field goal percentage ranks fifth. At the charity stripe the Bison's percentage ranks third.
Individually, three Bison are averaging double figures with Britt Hammons leading the way at 18.0 points per game. Travon Moore is next in scoring at 12.0 ppg and Chandler Rickey rounds out double-figure scoring at 10.5 ppg. Rickey is the team's leading rebounder at 9.0 boards per game. The top assist man on the team is Vladimir Nemcok with 7.0 assists per game.
COACH
The Bison are coached by Quinn Wooldridge, who is in his third season at Oklahoma Baptist. A former player at OKB, Wooldridge came to OKB with extensive coaching experience that saw him make stops at Southwestern Christian, Univ. of the Southwest, Oklahoma City Univ., Wayland Baptist, Missouri Baptist, Lyon College, and Eastern Oklahoma State.
In his time as the head Bison, he has amassed a 14-38 overall record.
LAST YEAR/LAST TIME OUT
Last time out, the Muleriders closed out the regular season with a 96-88 road win against the Bison.
THE SERIES
This will be the fifth meeting all-time between SAU and OKB as the Bison began their transition to the NCAA and joined the GAC prior to last season. In the brief series history, SAU is 4-0 against the Bison.
