MONTICELLO, Ark. – Senior Snyder Cenecharles and freshman Jalen Brooks combined to knock down five three-point shots in the final seven minutes of Thursday night's thrilling Great American Conference clash with in-state rival Arkansas-Monticello as (RV) Southern Arkansas put away the Weevils 74-70 inside Steelman Fieldhouse for the team's seventh-straight victory which places the Muleriders alone atop the league standings.

SAU (13-2, 8-1) saw four players register double-figures in scoring including a double-double effort from sophomore forward Devante Brooks (7-for-9 FT) who finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds; game-high totals in both categories. J. Brooks (3-for-5 3pt) followed with 16 points, three rebounds, one assist and a steal, while Cenecharles (4-for-5 3pt) and classmate CJ Elkins each added 14 points with the former grabbing six rebounds as well.

The 173^rd meeting all-time between the south Arkansas foes saw multiple large runs by both teams throughout the contest which resulted in just five lead changes and four tied scores in the forty minutes of action.

Elkins, who cracked the top ten of the program's all-time scoring list in SAU's win over Southeastern Oklahoma last Saturday, was the first half catalyst for the Muleriders offensively as he led SAU with ten points. Southern Arkansas led 42-36 after an opening twenty minutes which saw runs of 17-3 (SAU), 18-2 (UAM), and 17-7 (SAU) in a momentum-shifting first half that would carry over to create the aforementioned thrilling final minutes.

The game favored Arkansas-Monticello coming out of the intermission as the Weevils doubled up the Muleriders in scoring with a 25-12 advantage that saw the hosts build what felt like a commanding 61-54 lead with 8:39 remaining in the game. That seven-point lead stood as the largest of the evening for UAM.

D. Brooks connected on 1-of-2 free throws to end the scoring drought for the Muleriders and pull the squad to within six points at 61-55 and soon after Southern Arkansas manufactured their final run of the game. On the Muleriders' next trip down the court Cenecharles, on an assist from J. Brooks, knocked down the first of his three late trifectas which cut the UAM lead to a bucket at 61-58 with just under seven minutes to play.

With 5:21 to play, J. Brooks nailed a three-point attempt to pull Southern Arkansas once more within three points of the lead following a three-point make by the Weevils. Less than a minute later, Cenecharles scored inside on a fast break layup that cut the UAM lead to 64-63 and with 3:46 left to play, Cenecharles completed the comeback as he drilled his second shot from deep, following superb ball movement offensively, to put the Muleriders up 66-64.

Cenecharles and J. Brooks would each hit trifectas down the stretch and D. Brooks would add a pair of free throws as the Muleriders finished the game on a 20-9 run following the Weevils staking claim to their largest lead of the game at seven with under 8:40 remaining.

For the game, the Muleriders shot 48.1% (26-for-54) from the floor including a season-best 52% (12-for-23) from beyond-the-arc. Additionally, SAU converted ten of the team's 14 attempts from the free throw line.

Defensively, Southern Arkansas owns one of the top defensive units in the country and the production proved no different on Thursday night as the Muleriders forced the Weevils into a three-point shooting clip of just 26.9% (7-for-26) which included just two makes in a dozen second-half attempts from behind the line.

Southern Arkansas' first place standing in the GAC nine games into the conference slate is the latest into the season that the Muleriders have held the top spot in the program's eight-year membership with the league. It is also the second-consecutive season in which SAU has manufactured a win streak of at least seven games.

With the win, the series record at Monticello since 2011-12 when both schools became charter members of the GAC now stands at 4-4. The Weevils travel to Magnolia for a February 14 showdown at 7:30 p.m.

Southern Arkansas returns home and continues Great American Conference play as it welcomes in Harding on Saturday, January 19. SAU looks to avenge a 75-74 road loss to the Bisons that occurred on Dec. 1; the lone league loss for the Muleriders this season. Additionally, the Muleriders will carry a nine-game home win streak that dates back to last season as well as a seven-game win streak overall into Saturday's 3 p.m. tip-off from inside the W.T. Watson Center. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.