Bartlesville, Okla. - The SAU Men's Basketball opens their Great American Conference Tournament schedule on Friday afternoon with a four-five matchup against a familiar foe. The Muleriders, the only team to qualify for the tournament every year for the past eight years, take on the Reddies from Henderson State. These two teams split their season series, with the Muleriders winning the first matchup, which was the conference opener on November 29, by a score of 94-71. The Reddies got revenge on their home court on February 7, winning 82-63. Chris Parker, an All-GAC Honorable Mention, led the Reddies in scoring on both occasions, scoring 20 in the first meeting before scoring 18 in their second encounter. 

The Reddies are 18-10 on the seaosn and 13-9 in conference play. They beat East Central on the last day of the regular season to claim the fifth seed and ultimately, a matchup with the Muleriders. The Reddies are 2-4 on the season in Oklahoma, with wins over Southwestern and Southeastern Oklahoma State. The Reddies are 6-4 in their last 10 games, with wins over tournament teams Oklahoma Baptist, Southern Arkansas, Ouachita and East Central. 

As a team, the Reddies are 7th in the GAC in scoring offense with 76.6 points per game, and have the 5th-ranked scoring defense, only allowing 72.4 points per game. Their +4.2 scoring margin ranks fourth in the conference. The Reddies rank in the top five in the following categories: field goal percentage defense (3rd); three-point field goal defense (4th); rebounding offense (3rd); rebound margin (5th); turnover margin (4th); and, offensive rebounds (2nd).

The Reddies have three players named to the all-GAC Honorable Mentions: Parker, Rel Johnson and Mike Fofana. Johnson leads the team in scoring with 12.6 points per game. Fofana is third in the conference in rebounding with 7.9 boards per game.

The Muleriders are 19-9 on the season, their best overall record in the Division II era, and 14-8 in GAC play. The Muleriders beat Oklahoma Baptist to end a four-game losing streak and clinch the fourth seed, having been locked into the four-five matchup following the results of last Thursday's games. The Muleriders are 2-4 in Oklahoma, winning their first foray into the Sooner State against Northwestern and Southwestern Oklahoma State. The Muleriders are 5-5 in the last 10 games, with wins over torunament teams Oklahoma Baptist and Arkansas-Monticello.

As a team, the Muleriders have the 9th-ranked scoring offense at 71.7 points per game but the third-best scoring defense, only allowing 67.3 points per game. The Muleriders rank third in scoring margin at +4.4 points per game. The Muleriders also rank in the top five in: field goal percentage defense (1st); three-point field goal defense (1st); rebounding offense (2nd); rebounding defense (1st); rebounding margin (1st); blocks (4th); steals (3rd); offensive rebounds (1st) and defensive rebounds (5th).

The Muleriders had four players recognized by the GAC: Charlie Thomas was named as a Distinguished Scholar Athlete; CJ Elkins was named to the All-GAC Honorable Mentions; Jalen Brooks was named Freshman of the Year; and Devante Brooks was named to the All-GAC First Team. 

The winner of this matchup will take on the winner of top seed Southern Nazarene and eight seed Ouachita on Saturday.