MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas closed out 2021 on a high note inside the W.T. Watson Center on Thursday night as the Muleriders picked up its third straight win behind a stern defensive effort, specifically behind the arc as it forced Northwestern Oklahoma State into an 11% success rate from deep, and used the 36^th double-double of senior forward Devante Brooks' career to topple the Rangers 69-49 in a Great American Conference contest that saw SAU lead from the outset.  
 
The Muleriders (8-3, 4-1 GAC) led by 11 at the intermission and outscored its opponent by nine points in the second half to cruise to the league victory. SAU shot 43.5% from the floor and made one third of its 21 three-point attempts. SAU held the Rangers (7-4, 2-3 GAC) to just nine makes in 32 second-half attempts from the floor. SAU's effort guarding its GAC foe (in terms of overall shooting % and three-point %) was the best for the squad against a Division II opponent this season.
 
Southern Arkansas outscored NWOSU inside 40-30 as Brooks' 21 points came on 9-of-16 shooting in 31 minutes of action. Devante's nine made field goals matched his season high and he added 15 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass as SAU finished at +7 in rebound margin. The Shreveport, Louisiana native has now delivered a double-double seven times this season including his last six trips to the floor and is now averaging 18.3 points per game and 10.9 rebounds.
 
One of three 1,000-point scorers currently playing under tenth-year head coach Andy Sharpe, Brooks reached another career milestone with just over five minutes remaining in the first half as his ninth rebound of the night registered as the 1,000^th of his illustrious career. He is now only the second player in program history and the first in the NCAA Era to reach the milestone and is 155 boards back of becoming SAU's all-time leader in the category. Brooks joins Billy Barnes, the program's standard rebounder, who grabbed 1,160 boards from 1967-71.
 
Senior guard Aaron Lucas followed with 13 points and three assists with one steal. Junior guard Kris Wyche added ten of the team's 19 bench points in 17 minutes, while junior guard Tyler Garrett logged a game-high 37 minutes and finished with five points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
 
The Muleriders face their first quick league turnaround of the season as Southwestern Oklahoma State comes to for a New Year's Day clash. Tipoff from inside the W.T. Watson Center is scheduled for 3 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.