MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas improved its 2021-22 overall record to 4-2 on Monday night inside the W.T. Watson Center as the Muleriders received 19 points apiece from the brotherly duo of Devante and Jalen Brooks, while tenth-year head coach Andy Sharpe's squad turned 23 Delta State turnovers into 41 points and dominated inside to earn an 82-60 win over the Statesmen as the former Gulf South Conference foes convened on the hardwood for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
 
Devante's 19 points were accompanied with a game-high dozen rebounds as he logged a double-double in 29 minutes on the floor. Jalen's 19 came with six rebounds, five steals, and a pair of assists. Ty Archibald delivered 14 points which included sinking four of SAU's seven makes from beyond-the-arc. Aaron Lucas scored a dozen points and facilitated with six assists, four steals and three rebounds.
 
Southern Arkansas shot 40% from the floor in the first half despite a 1-for-11 effort from deep. The Muleriders carried a 33-26 lead into the intermission after scoring the final six points of the half on a free throw from Devante, a three-point make from the trigger of Archibald and a jumper by Rogers in the final 45 seconds. After the elder Brooks scored the game's first points and the first bucket of 42 Mulerider paint points in the victory, DSU grabbed a lead that it would hold for over 7:30 minutes, until Lucas assisted Jalen Brooks on driving layup at the 12:14 mark which gave SAU an 11-10 lead; one that it would not surrender.
 
Delta State used the opening 3:45 of the second half to pull within two points of the SAU lead at 36-34. D. Brooks, on an assist from Blake Rogers, scored inside at the 15:20 mark and in the process sparked a 26-8 run that was capped with a trifecta by Archibald to put SAU up 64-42 with just under eight minutes remaining. The lead grew to as much as 24 during that run, which saw SAU net 13 of its 19 second half fast break points, and the advantage again stood at 24 points in the final minute.
 
SAU committed just nine turnovers which DSU managed to score just four points off of and the Muleriders finished at +37 in points off of turnovers. The Statesmen attempted just one free in the first half, while the Muleriders were solid from the stripe shooting 74% with 17 makes. Southern Arkansas was better from range in the second half connecting on six of its 17 attempts.
 
Southern Arkansas turns its focus to Thursday and the Great American Conference opener against Harding in Searcy. Tip-off from inside Rhodes Reaves Fieldhouse is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.