MAGNOLIA, Ark. - The Southern Arkansas Mulerider Men's Basketball team returns to action this weekend for a pair of pivotal league clashes with in-state opponents. The Muleriders host Henderson State on Fan Appreciation Night inside the W.T. Watson Center and will hit the road Saturday for a matchup with Arkansas Tech. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
THURSDAY NIGHT STORYLINES vs HSU
*The Muleriders (10-10, 7-7 GAC) have won five of their past six games and return home to the W.T. Watson Center where they own a 7-2 record this season and the site of four of their next six games. Currently, SAU is tied for sixth place in the Great American Conference standings with Arkansas Tech.
*Thursday night's meeting with Henderson State (14-6, 9-5 GAC) will be the 20th clash between the two programs since the 2011-12 season; the first year of competition in the GAC, and will see Southern Arkansas carry a 16-game home winning streak vs. in-state league opponents into the contest. HSU leads the series in that time frame 10-9 and has won the last three meetings by an average of over 17 points. Before that streak, the Muleriders were victorious in four-consecutive meetings and enter with a 7-1 mark at home having won five straight over HSU in Magnolia.
*The Reddies are currently tied for third place with East Central in the GAC postseason race and previously defeated the Muleriders this season: a 58-41 decision in the Great American Conference opener for both teams on November 21.
*Southern Arkansas ranks second in scoring defense in the GAC at 66.8 ppg allowed which ranks 24th nationally. Henderson State's scoring offense ranks third in the GAC at 83.6 ppg; one of six league opponents averaging over 80 points a night.
*HSU will enter with the nation's fifth-best field goal percentage defense as they are currently holding their opponents to a 39.5% shooting clip. SAU ranks third in the GAC at 42.5%.
*Two of the nation's top three-point field goal defenses will take the floor as HSU's 30.6% opponent success rate from range ranks 13th in the country, while the Muleriders' 29.2% opposition shooting clips ranks 4th in all of Division II.
*HSU holds additional top 30 marks nationally in turnovers forced (17.35 - 16th), steals per game (8.8 - 26th), and scoring margin (+11.1 - 27th). Chris Parker leads the team in assists with the league's ninth-highest average of 3.2 Quawn Marshall ranks fourth in the GAC in steals per game at 1.9.
*For the Reddies, Parker's 15.3 ppg leads the team and ranks 10th in the GAC. Rel Johnson follows Parker's scoring output with 11.5 ppg; the 24th-best average in the league. Parker is an 81.9% free throw shooter.
*HSU's Raekwon Rogers is the league's top shooter in terms of percentage as he owns a 59.6 success rate from the floor. He also ranks seventh in the GAC in rebounding at 7.6 per game.
*Three players rank in the GAC's top 15 in three-point field goal percentage as Anthony Lupardus ranks second in the league at 47.7% (41-of-86), while Chris Owens and Chris Parker are both shooting better than 40% from deep as well.
*Thursday night could feature an intense battle inside as the Muleriders rank 21st in offensive rebounds per game at 13.4, while the Reddies grab 10.9 offensive rebounds per game. SAU's rebounding margin of +4.7 ranks third in the GAC, while HSU's mark of +2.4 ranks sixth. Two of the top five rebounders in the league reside in Magnolia as the Brooks Brothers combine for over 16 rebounds a night.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON STORYLINES at ATU
*Southern Arkansas and Arkansas Tech meet for the second time this season after the Muleriders claimed an 83-63 win in Magnolia on December 14. Since 2011-12, Arkansas Tech leads the series 11-8, but the Muleriders have won five-consecutive games against the Wonder Boys.
*The Muleriders have struggled away from the W.T. Watson Center this season as they have won just three of their 11 games not played in Magnolia with a 2-6 mark in true road contests.
*Three Muleriders rank in the league's top 20 in scoring with
Devante Brooks' 14.2 pgg and
Aaron Lucas' 13.9 ppg ranking 13th and 14th respectively, while
Jalen Brooks' 12.5 ppg ranks 20th. SAU is one of just three teams in the GAC with three scorers ranked in the top 20.
*R.J. Glasper is the top-scoring Wonder Boy at 18.2 ppg which ranks eighth in the GAC, while his 6.1 assists per game rank third. Devante Foster and Dillon Gooding both average over 11 ppg. Foster is the team's top rebounder at 7.7 boards per game and his 58.4% shooting clip ranks fourth in the GAC.
*ATU averages over 80.8 ppg, but owns the league's worst scoring defense allowing 82.2 ppg. Additionally, the Wonder Boys' 38.8 rebounding offense ranks third in the conference, but the team's 42.2 boards allowed ranks 12th.
*The Muleriders employ one of the top rebounding units in the country grabbing 13.4 boards on the offensive end per game, while adding 25.4 defensive rebounds per night as well.
*As is the case on Thursday, Saturday's matchup in Russellville will feature another strong three-point defensive team as the Wonder Boys trail the Muleriders and Reddies in the league rankings at 32.1%.
*The Muleriders currently shoot just 27.5% from three-point range with a 40.6% shooting clip from the field.
