MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The nation's second-highest scoring team was again out in full force on the offensive end of the floor on Saturday afternoon as Southern Arkansas reached the century mark in scoring in back-to-back games for the first time in the program's NCAA Era (1995-96). Senior forward Kisi Young filled up her statistical ledger with 23 points (8-of-15), a dozen rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals and led four other Muleriders in scoring as Southern Arkansas held off Ouachita 102-99 despite a game-high 35 points from the nation's leading scorer Aspen Thornton.
 
The contest saw eight lead changes and seven tied scores in the first three quarters of action. SAU shot 47.6% from the floor which was highlighted by a 55.5% result in 18 fourth-quarter attempts.
 
The Muleriders (6-2, 2-1 GAC) endured forty free throw attempts, 32 points off of turnovers and a relentless scoring effort inside by Ouachita to earn its sixth win of the season after grabbing 45 rebounds, including 19 off the offensive glass, and shooting 77.8% from the charity stripe after sinking of five of six attempts in the final thirty seconds of the contest.
 
Southern Arkansas' performance from the free throw line aided its efforts in holding off Ouachita as SAU converted ten of its 11 opportunities in the final 5:45 of play. The run started after junior Doriana Brown capped off an old fashioned three-point play with a successful free throw after a no-look shot off the glass on a share by senior Ariana Guinn. Four players combined for the 11 attempts from the stripe including three makes from Brown.
 
SAU led 22-21 after the first ten minutes of action, but saw a 16-4 run to open the game cut down to a single point entering the second quarter. The Muleriders trailed 47-46 at the intermission as Ouachita closed the final 3:20 before the break on a 16-9 run to take the lead which would be its last of the afternoon. Southern Arkansas opened up the league battle in the third quarter behind 29 points to outscore the Tigers by seven in the frame.
 
A three-point make from junior Jessica Jones increased the SAU advantage to eight points at 64-56 with 4:45 remaining in the third quarter. A Diamond Morris jumper, two makes from Guinn at the stripe and a trifecta from the trigger of Kenzie Ezekiel quickly staked the Muleriders to a 15-point benefit at 71-56 with 2:52 to play before the fourth.
 
Young scored inside right before the final two minutes of the quarter to give SAU its largest lead of the night at 16 points, but a 12-2 OUA run closed out the third frame and set the final ten minutes up for back and forth action that resulted in the aforementioned effort by the Muleriders from the free throw line to hold off Ouachita.
 
Ezekiel delivered 17 points with a team-leading three makes from range to go along with five rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals. Morris followed with 14 points and followed Young in rebounding with six and two steals. Junior Kylie Warren logged a team-high 33 minutes on the floor and finished with 14 points which included two of the team's 11 late makes from the charity stripe. Guinn scored 11 points with nine of those coming off of ten attempts from the free throw line. She added a team-high three steals with four assists.
 
SAU shot 28-of-36 from the line which follows a 29-of-38 effort last Saturday in a home win over Henderson State.
 
In terms of total offensive output, Southern Arkansas had produced just six games of 100 or more points since 1995-96 entering this season. In eight games this season, the Muleriders have surpassed the century mark three times for the first time ever in a season as an NCAA program.
 
The Muleriders return to action on Tuesday inside the W.T. Watson Center as SAU host Champion Christian in the former's final nonleague action of the season. Tipoff from Magnolia is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.