MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The stakes have been raised and the hardwood madness is here as the calendar turns to March for ninth-year head coach Andy Sharpe's Southern Arkansas Men's Basketball team. The first test for the Muleriders, who in their last appearance on the court claimed a share of the program's first regular season conference championship since 1989-90, is the No. 3 seed from the Great American Conference's Western Division East Central. Tip-off for the GAC Quarterfinals inside the W.T. Watson Center is set for 7:30 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
 
The Muleriders (13-4, 12-4 GAC) carry a three-game winning streak and the GAC Eastern Division's No. 2 seed into the league tournament. For the past three weeks, Southern Arkansas has been listed as one of eight teams in the South Central Region that is under consideration for the NCAA Tournament. On Wednesday, March 3, the first official rankings of the current top six teams will be announced by the NCAA.
 
Through 17 games, SAU has been led by a trio of stars in GAC Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and unanimous All-GAC First Team honoree Aaron Lucas, unanimous All-GAC First Team selection Devante Brooks and All-GAC Honorable Mention performer Jalen Brooks. To read about the trio's regular season efforts, click here.
 
In addition to Lucas and the Brooks brothers, SAU has benefitted from the fall arrival of several newcomers to the squad. Juniors Blake Rogers, Victor Irhirhi, Kris Wyche and Tyler Garrett have all provided a welcomed presence to Sharpe's Muleriders. Sophomore guard Dodge Brown and classmate forward Jessie Davis Jr. along with seniors Charlie Thomas and Trey Davis has also provided meaningful minutes off of the bench for SAU this season.
 
Rogers' 34 makes from three-point range are coming off a 35.8% shooting clip and are second to Lucas' 41. Rogers is fourth on the team in scoring at 10.5 ppg. Irhirhi and Wyche have combined for 32 trifectas and both players are shooting over 41% from beyond-the-arc. All four of the newcomers are shooting over 80% from the free throw stripe.
 
As a team, Southern Arkansas' defensive effort has been its calling card, particularly along the perimeter, as the Muleriders post a .317 (112-353) three-point field goal percentage defense, which currently ranks third all-time in SAU's DII Era (1995-96). Additionally, the Muleriders are allowing just 65.9 ppg to its opponents; the second-best effort since '95-96 and currently the 16th-best output nationally.
 
SAU's 40.7% field goal percentage defense leads the GAC as does the team's rebounding defense of 31.9. The Muleriders own the league's second-best rebounding margin at +5.9 and no team in the GAC has cleaned the offensive glass better than the Muleriders as they lead with an average of 13.0 offensive rebounds per game. SAU ranks in the top five in both steals per game (7.7) and blocked shots per game (3.2).
 
Offensively, Southern Arkansas averages 71.2 ppg and is shooting 43.0% as a team from the floor with the third-best three-point field goal percentage in the GAC at 36.7%.
 
East Central is coming off of an 81-56 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State in the opening round of the GAC Tournament. The Tigers will carry one of the league's top scoring offenses to Magnolia as ECU averages over 74.6 ppg behind the league's top shooting percentage of 46.5%. The Tigers are shooting just over 35% from three-point range and are allowing over 76 ppg.
 
Four players are averaging over 11 ppg led by All-GAC Second Team performer Jalen Crutchfield's 14.9 ppg. All-GAC Second Team honoree Josh Apple and Tylor Arnold are scoring over 12 ppg and Jakeem Acres averages 11.2 ppg. Apple leads the league in field goal percentage at 61.2% and ranks 10^th in the GAC in rebounding at 7.1. Romello Wilbert averages 6.6 rebounds per game and leads the team in assists with 3.1; the tenth-best assist rate in the league.
 
Matt Garriga leads the team and ranks second in the GAC in three-point field goal percentage at 53.4% with 31 makes.
 
Last season, the two teams split with both squads defending home court. ECU topped SAU 64-60 in Ada and the Muleriders picked up a 76-75 overtime win as Lucas lofted a last second shot along the far baseline which banked in to give SAU the victory.