MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Tenth-year head coach Andy Sharpe leads his Southern Arkansas Men's Basketball program onto the floor of the W.T. Watson Center for the first time this season as the Muleriders open up the home portion of the 2021-22 campaign on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. as Arkansas Baptist comes to town. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
 
The Muleriders (0-2) are looking to move into the win column for the first time this season after suffering losses to quality in-region competition on back-to-back nights last weekend at the Central Region Tipoff Challenge in Kansas City. SAU lost 74-66 to (RV) Augustana on Friday, before dropping its Saturday night matchup with #15/RV Northern State 78-69. In both contests, Southern Arkansas rallied from 18+ point second-half deficits to make it close.
 
The Buffaloes, led by head coach Wes Sullivan, will carry a 17-man roster into Wednesday's meeting. ABC, once a member of the NJCAA, is transitioning to a four-year university and is currently a member of the Association of Independent Institutions and the NAIA's Continental Athletic Conference.
 
Southern Arkansas, since joining the Great American Conference for the 2011-12 season, is 8-2 in home openers and has won seven straight such games.
 
The Muleriders will employ an offense averaging 67.5 points per game. SAU is currently shooting 38.3% from the floor and averaging over 31.5 rebounds per game. Senior Aaron Lucas is averaging 18.5 points per game and classmate Devante Brooks follows with 16 ppg to round out double-figure scorers. Devante along with combo brother Jalen Brooks have combined for 23 of the team's 63 rebounds. Jalen leads the team in steals with six and Lucas' seven assists are a team-high as are his five three-point makes and ten successful free throws.
 
In just two games this season, the Mulerider currently rank 20^th nationally in turnover margin at 6.5 which is facilitated by Lucas' 7.0 assist-to-turnover ratio which is currently the 12^th-best mark in the country.