MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Great American Conference portion of the 2019 Southern Arkansas Men's Basketball schedule begins on Thursday night in Arkadelphia as the Muleriders gear up for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off with Henderson State from inside the Duke Wells Center. Two days later the Muleriders will host Harding at 3 p.m. in the team's conference home opener from inside the W.T. Watson Center. Live coverage links for both games are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
 
In their previous seven conference openers under current head coach Andy Sharpe, the Muleriders own a 3-4 record overall and a 1-2 mark on the road. Of the four total losses, two came in overtime (Northwestern Oklahoma in 2013-14; Southern Nazarene in 2014-15) by a combined seven points. In conference home openers under Sharpe, Southern Arkansas is also 3-4 having won two of their past three such games including a 94-71 win over Henderson State last November.
 
Through three games, Mulerider juniors Devante Brooks and Aaron Lucas are leading the team in scoring as both players are averaging 13.3 points per game. Brooks is averaging 8.7 rebounds per game as is his younger brother sophomore Jalen Brooks. The elder Brooks' 4.3 offensive rebounds per game ranks 18^th nationally and the Muleriders' 14.0 offensive rebounds per game as a team leads the GAC, while its +7 rebound margin ranks third. Additionally, the team ranks fourth in the league in both fewest fouls and fewest turnovers.
 
The younger Brooks is third on the team in scoring at 9.7 points per game. Lucas leads the team in assists with ten and J. Brooks follows with nine.
 
The Muleriders (1-2) and Reddies (3-1) meet for the first time since Henderson State topped Southern Arkansas 74-62 in the opening round of the GAC Tournament last March. SAU is coming off an impressive 72-63 home-opening win over Union, while HSU enters after a pair of decisive wins at home: a 74-60 decision against Mississippi College and a 129-88 victory over Texas College.
 
Despite being just a couple of weeks into the season, the two teams share a pair of common opponents as both opened their respective seasons in Lancaster, Texas, at the GAC/MIAA Challenge. The Muleriders dropped its two contests to Rogers State (74-85) and Newman (60-65), while the Reddies topped Newman (67-60), before losing to Rogers State (70-82).
 
For Henderson State, junior Chris Parker leads the team in scoring at 19.5 points per game; the eighth-highest point average entering conference play. Senior Rel Johnson follows at 14.5 points per game and junior Raekwon Rogers adds 11 points per contest behind one of the league's best field goal percentages at 53.1%. Rogers also ranks in the league's top 10 in per game averages of offensive rebounds (3) and blocked shots (1.0).
 
In the most previous meeting between the two schools last January, Southern Arkansas topped Harding 70-66. The Bisons handed the Muleriders their only loss through the team's first ten GAC games last season; a 75-74 defeat in Searcy. Harding enters the weekend at 3-1 with their lone loss coming in a 78-65 defeat to Minot State in the season opener. Since then, the Bisons edged St. Cloud State 61-60, before cruising by Champion Christian College and Dallas Christian College for victories that totaled a combined 195 points.
 
Romio Harvey is the Bisons leading scorer at 27.5 points per game; an average that ranks sixth nationally and second in the GAC. Harvey also leads the team in per game averages of assists and steals. Joel Polius follows with 12.3 points per game and is the team's top rebounder averaging 8.8 boards per game and he has recorded a third of the team's 17 total blocked shots.