MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Southern Arkansas heads back to Oklahoma for the second time this month as clashes with Southwestern Oklahoma and Northwestern Oklahoma await in the Sooner State. Live coverage links for all of the weekend's action are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com. 

THURSDAY NIGHT STORYLINES at SWOSU
*The Muleriders (9-9, 6-6 GAC) will carry a four-game winning streak, the longest in the GAC, across state lines and into Weatherford, Oklahoma, for its second matchup this month with the Bulldogs which sit at 9-9 overall and 5-7 in Great American Conference play.
*SAU is currently seventh in the GAC standings, while SWOSU enters the weekend tied for eighth.
*SWOSU topped Southern Arkansas 72-67 in Magnolia on January 4. That win by the visitors snapped a five-game winning streak that the Muleriders had built against the Bulldogs and was the first of four losses for SAU to begin 2020.
*It will be the 20th meeting between the two teams since both became charter members of the GAC in 2011-12. In Weatherford, the Muleriders are just 3-5 against SWOSU, but enter having won their previous two clashes in Oklahoma.
*Through 18 games this season, the Bulldogs have developed into one of the peskiest teams around the basketball as the team ranks eighth in the country in turnovers forced (19.4 per game), 11th in turnover margin (4.6), 16th in steals per game (9.1) and 33rd in total steals (164). *The former three categories are also the top marks in the GAC, while the team's total steals ranks second.
*The Bulldogs also rank in top 45 in Division II in free throws attempted and made, marks that rank in the top three of the GAC. SWOSU's 310 made free throws this season rank 37th nationally, while the 428 attempts rank 44th in the country.
*Damion Thornton leads SWOSU with 20.1 ppg (5th GAC) and Marquis Johnson adds 11.1 ppg. Thornton is also the team's top rebounder at 7.6 per game and his 53.7% shooting clip ranks ninth in the GAC.
*Johnson leads the team in assists per game at 4.0, while him and Thornton combine for 4.3 steals per game as the top two GAC leaders in the category. The duo has combined for 71 steals this season.
*Jaylan Williams will be the eighth player ranked in the GAC's top 15 of three-point field goal percentage that the Muleriders will face this month. Williams shoots 40.3% from beyond-the-arc.
*For Southern Arkansas, three players hold top 20 scoring averages in the GAC with junior guard Aaron Lucas leading the way at 14.6 ppg. Junior forward Devante Brooks follows with 13.8 ppg and sophomore combo and reigning GAC Player of the Week Jalen Brooks adds 12.7 ppg.
*Southern Arkansas is one of three teams with three scoring averages in the top 20 (Southeastern Oklahoma, Arkansas-Monticello).
*Devante and Jalen rank second and fourth, respectively in total rebounding in the conference as both players grab over eight rebounds per games. The duo is first and second, respectively in offensive rebounds.
*The Muleriders employ a couple of pick pockets of their own as Lucas ranks seventh in the GAC in steals per game (1.8), while clamp down defender Trey Davis ranks 10th at 1.6 steals per game.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON STORYLINES at NWOSU
*Southern Arkansas and Northwestern Oklahoma State will meet for the 17th time since the latter joined the GAC the year following the conference's inaugural season of 2011-12.
*The two teams met in Magnolia on January 2 with the Rangers edging Southern Arkansas 88-84 in overtime for the Muleriders' first home loss of the season. That win snapped a two-game win streak for SAU against NWOSU after the Muleriders swept the season series last year.
*The series since the aforementioned time currently stands at 6-10 for Southern Arkansas with three wins each at home and on the road. SAU's previous trek to Alva saw the Muleriders come away with a 75-63 victory.
*NWOSU enters the weekend at 6-12 overall with a 3-9 mark in GAC play. The Rangers are currently 11th in the GAC standings; two games out of the eighth and final postseason spot for the GAC Championship Tournament.
*Parrish Hewitt leads the Rangers in scoring at 16.9 ppg, while Jaedon Whitfield adds 12.7 ppg. Both players rank in the league's top 20 in rebounding with Whitfield's 7.2 boards per game ranking 10th.
*Whitfield is the team's top shooter at 53% on the season and Hewitt owns the team's best free throw shooting mark at 83.3%. As a team, the Rangers rank 50th in free throw attempts in Division II averaging over 23 attempts per game.
*A.J. Jones' 2.0 turnover to assist ratio ranks fifth in the GAC and comes behind 5.4 assists per game (4th) and 1.4 steals per game (14th).
*Southern Arkansas will have a big opportunity to limit the Rangers as the host will floor the league's 11th-lowest scoring offense at just 69.6 ppg. SAU's scoring defense of 66.6 ppg leads the GAC and ranks 20th nationally.
*Both teams have struggled shooting the three-pointer this season as the Rangers rank 11th (31.2%) and the Muleriders rank 12th (27.5%) in the GAC. However, both teams will roll out two of the best perimeter-patrolling units in the land as the Muleriders' 29.1% opponent success rate leads the GAC and ranks third nationally. The Rangers own the fourth-best three-point defense in the conference at 32.4%.

MULERIDERS BY THE NUMBERS

3 - Southern Arkansas has relied heavily on its defense this season and it has paid off especially during the team's four-game winning streak which has put the Muleriders back into the heart of the GAC postseason hunt. Currently, SAU employs the third-best perimeter defense in the country as opponents are successful on only 29% of their three-point attempts. Additionally, the team's scoring defense of 66.6 ppg ranks 20th in Division II. Both of those clips lead the GAC.

121 - With their prowess evident on the offensive glass, the Brooks Brothers have combined for 121 offensive rebounds this season. That current total is more than the offensive team total of five Division II programs and two Division I programs (Wyoming, Loyola Chicago) this season. Last season, the brothers combined for 143 rebounds. Their current pace puts them at a combined 188.2 offensive boards with 10 regular season games remaining. As a team, the Muleriders rank 15th nationally in offensive rebounds at 13.89 per game; the top mark in the GAC.

1,841 - Streaks end. Thankfully droughts do too. On Monday, the Great American Conference announced its Men's and Women's Basketball Players of the Week and for the first time in over five years, specifically 1,841 days, a Mulerider Men's Basketball player was honored as the league's best performer from the previous seven days. Sophomore guard/forward Jalen Brooks, fresh off back-to-back double-doubles in which he averaged 22.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in a pair of pivotal league wins at home inside the W.T. Watson Center was named the conference's player of the week; an obvious first in his young career. Brooks is the first SAU Men's Basketball Player to receive the league's weekly honor since former Mulerider Jaron Davis did on January 12, 2015.