MONTICELLO, Ark. – The Lady Mulerider basketball team survived "Rivalry Tuesday" in overtime after taking the Cotton Blossoms down to the wire at UAM in a thrilling 91-85 final decision.
 
In the first half, UAM and SAU each registered 14 field goal makes, as well as, a 36.4 percentage from the long range (4-of-11) apiece to make it a close contest, that consisted of seven lead changes, and saw SAU use its 90.9% field goal percentage in that half (10-of-11) to eventually take a slim 42-38 advantage over UAM at the intermission.
 
SAU outscored the Cotton Blossoms in the first quarter (25-23), and again in the second quarter (17-15), led by Sue Key's 12 points, as she was the only Lady Mulerider to score in double figures in the half.
 
The Cotton Blossoms outscored SAU in the third quarter (18-12) and the score was tied three times in the frame, with the Lady Muleriders coming out on top in each of those, but a 9-0 run by UAM saw them snag the lead and eventually take a 56-54 advantage over SAU at the end of the third quarter.
 
Five tied scores and three lead changes in the fourth quarter sent the contest into overtime as SAU outscored UAM (24-22) in the frame, aided by Key's 14 points, to leave the game tied at 78-all at the buzzer.
 
In the five minutes of overtime action, the score was tied twice and the Lady Muleriders came away with the lead both times. UAM saw a short-lived lead just once in that frame, 84-83, at 3:06 left to play, but Key knotted the score at 84-all just a few seconds later with a free-throw make, which prompted a 7-1 Lady Mulerider run that eventually led to SAU's overtime victory at a 91-85 final decision.
 
OF NOTE:

• SAU's 91 points in the contest were the most the Lady Muleriders have ever scored against a GAC opponent
• Head Coach Julio Pacheco has led the Lady Muleriders to a 3-2 overall record in overtime contests in his coaching career at SAU, with a pair of those wins being against UAM
• SAU outscored UAM in every quarter except for the third
• Three Lady Muleriders scored in double figures with Key leading the way at 35 points, Kimberly Crown was second at 15 points, and Erin Brinkley had 13
• Crown's 15 points and 15 rebounds counted as her ninth double-double this season, and her 15 rebounds were a season-high
• Key's 35 points were her second-highest this season, and the fourth time she has scored 30+ points this season
• Brinkley's eight rebounds in the contest tied her season-best and was the third time this season she's reached that mark