MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Sophomore combo Jalen Brooks dropped a career-high 28 points and added ten rebounds in a double-double effort, while junior guard Aaron Lucas followed with a career-high 27 points and seven rebounds as Southern Arkansas employed yet another stifling defensive effort to pick up its third-consecutive win; a 77-60 Great American Conference discharging of Oklahoma Baptist on Thursday evening from inside a lively W.T. Watson Center.
 
The top storyline of the night for the Muleriders (8-9, 5-6 GAC) was written at the charity stripe. Southern Arkansas bottomed 34 of its 38 free throw attempts in the win which included a perfect 14-of-14 effort from Brooks, while Lucas went an unblemished 13-of-13.
 
At an 89.4% success rate from the stripe, it marks the best team free throw percentage in a single game under eighth-year head coach Andy Sharpe and it's the best effort in terms of percentage since November 12, 2011 when the Muleriders finished 20-of-22 (90.9%) from the line in an 82-78 loss to Dallas Baptist in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Additionally, the 34 made attempts are the most since January 23, 2014; six years ago to the day, when the Muleriders were successful on 37 of their 42 attempts in a 99-97 overtime win at home vs. Arkansas-Monticello.
 
Defensively, the Muleriders allowed just a dozen free throw attempts for the visitors of which the Bison connected on nine shots. SAU turned 18 Oklahoma Baptist turnovers into 22 points including 14 points in the second half. Southern Arkansas outrebounded its opponent 35-30 marking the 13^th time this campaign that the Muleriders have won the battle on the glass.
 
The first half featured four tied scores and four lead changes with Oklahoma Baptist's largest lead of the game coming at seven points, 15-8, with 10:01 remaining before the half. An inside layup by true freshman Jessie Davis Jr. coupled with a pair of free throws from Lucas quickly brought the deficit down to one possession at 15-12 with 7:59 to play. After back-and-forth action, Southern Arkansas took its final lead of the game at the 2:30 mark of the first half as junior Dru Smith assisted Lucas on an inside scoring drive to the basket to put SAU up 26-24.
 
Leading 30-24 at the intermission, the Muleriders' advantage grew to as much as 13 points with just over 14:30 to play in the game. Through the under-8 media timeout, the Bison managed to trim the lead down to just four points at 52-48. However, the Muleriders, behind a raucous Watson Center faithful, engineered a 15-0 run that carried the clock down to 3:43 and gave SAU a 67-48 lead. In the game's final 4:30 minutes, the Muleriders converted six technical free throws, all from the stroke of Lucas, to help distance themselves from their Sooner State foe. During that time, 10 of the team's 16 points came from the free throw line.  
 
Southern Arkansas returns to the court on Saturday, January 25, for a 3 p.m. tip-off with Southern Nazarene (14-5, 8-3 GAC). The Muleriders are currently tied with Arkansas-Monticello for seventh in the league standings at 5-6. The Crimson Storm enter the tilt tied for second with Henderson State at 8-3. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.