MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Lady Muleriders closed out the 2017 year with a staggering 98-30 victory over Crowley's Ridge College on Saturday afternoon inside the W.T. Watson Center. The 68-point lead was the second largest marginal victory since the 04-05 season when SAU beat Arkansas Baptist 98-25. The marginal victory was also the second largest in the Division II era.  
 
The Pioneers saw just one scoring advantage in the game as they led for thirteen seconds in the first quarter before Southern Arkansas found its groove and engineered a 28-point lead at the half. SAU's shot 62.5% from the free throw line (6-of-10) as Kimberly Crown led the team in that category with five total to contribute to her 13-total points in the half.
 
The Lady Muleriders continued to press after the intermission as they went on to score a total of 53 points in the second half with a 57.6 field goal percentage (19-of-33) and a 65.0 free throw percentage (13-of-20) to reach a final decision of 98-30. Sue Key was the leading scorer for SAU in that half with thirteen total points while Crown, Brette Wacha and Ramiah Henry each followed with nine apiece.
 
Defensively, Southern Arkansas was lights-out totaling 10 blocks, 17 steals, and 52 rebounds. Crown accounted for six of those blocks which proved to be a new career high for her and also registered her first double-double of the season with 22 points and a season-high 11 rebounds.
 
Crown and Key proved to be the offensive catalysts for SAU as they both combined for 42 points, followed by a pair of Lady Muleriders who each set new career-highs in points scored as Key registered 20 points in the game and Wacha tallied 15.
 
UP NEXT
The Lady Muleriders return to action on January 4 as they travel to Alva, Oklahoma for their first GAC matchup of the season with Northwestern Oklahoma scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff.