MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Draylan Perkins and CJ Elkins scored 21 of their combined 33 points in the second half and DeVante Brooks added the second double-double of his rookie campaign, but Southeastern Oklahoma rallied late to sneak out of the W.T. Watson Center with a 72-63 win in Great American Conference action on Saturday afternoon.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – 1^st HALF

• Southern Arkansas took its first lead of the game at the 17:41 mark of the first half when Perkins, as a result of forcing a steal, connected on a jumper just inside the free throw stripe to put SAU up 5-3 early.
• Over the next ten-plus minutes, the Savage Storm would run their lead to eight, before Elkins knocked down a triple try to pull the Muleriders to within five, 24-19, with 7:34 remaining in the opening half.
• With just under four minutes to play in the first half, SOSU's Markell Henderson drove inside for a high-percentage bucket and converted the resulting foul line attempt to briefly build the Savage Storm advantage back to six, 29-23.
• At the 2:14 mark, Quinton Gillette made good on a pair of shots from the charity stripe as the deficit was cut back to four and moments after the Savage Storm pushed their advantage back to six, Gillette drained a three-pointer right in front of the first half horn as the Muleriders trailed 31-28 at the intermission.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED – 2^nd HALF

• Thirty-seconds into the second half, Elkins nailed an impressive jumper on an assist from Perkins and made the free throw after the harming to tie the game at 31.
• Moments later, with SOSU leading 36-33, Elkins knocked down a triple try to tie the game at 36 before Henderson answered on the other end to push the lead back to three, 39-36.
• Back and forth it went throughout the heart of the second half as baskets by Elkins and Brooks and a pair of free throws by Perkins tied the game at 42.
• Off a three-point miss by Henderson on the Savage Storm's next possession following the tie game, Perkins corralled a rebound and finished on the other end for a fast break bucket that gave the Muleriders a 44-42 lead.
• A 7-5 run by Southeastern Oklahoma tied the game at 49 with 11:35 remaining, but Gabe Gilliam, in his first collegiate game, answered and converted a trifecta to give the Muleriders a three-point advantage, 52-49, at the 11:05 mark of the second half.
• The Muleriders largest lead during the stretch would come with 7:03 left in the game as Perkins found the bottom of the cylinder from range with a man in his face to put SAU ahead by five, 57-52.
• At the 4:36 mark, the SAU lead would dwindle back to just a point, but less than forty seconds later, Perkins again knocked down a three-point try to increase the lead to four.
• After SOSU's Kevin Buckingham answered Perkins with a three of his own, Wesley Nosakhare converted one of two attempts from the line to keep the Muleriders in front, 63-61. But on the Savage Storm's next trip down the court Ryan Scott-McGuire made a pair of free throws to tie the game at 63 with 2:54 to play.
• Buckingham followed the tied score with a three-pointer to give SOSU a late lead, but Southern Arkansas would have two chances trailing by three to score but turnovers cost the Muleriders and led to free throws on the other end for the Savage Storm. SOSU made all six attempts from the charity stripe in the game's final 31 seconds to close the book on the Muleriders.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Perkins finished with 17 points including three second-half threes, Elkins followed with 16 points and Brooks' double-double came on a dozen points and ten rebounds.
• Perkins led three other Muleriders that recorded at least two assists with three.
• Gillette and Perkins each grabbed six rebounds.
• The Muleriders shot 71.4% (15-of-21) from the free-throw line and 30.8% (8-of-26) from three-point range. SAU was outscored inside 24-16, while the Savage Storm's shooting dropped off in the second half going from 45.8% to 34.4%.

 
UP NEXT
Southern Arkansas returns to action next weekend on Saturday, December 9, for a 3 p.m. tip-off with Crowley's Ridge inside the W.T. Watson Center. Live coverage links available at www.muleriderathletics.com.