MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Forty-two hours after walking off the court inside the Noble Complex in Shawnee, Oklahoma, following a relentless effort in a 74-71 win over (W1) Oklahoma Baptist in the Great American Conference Tournament Semifinals, ninth-year head coach Andy Sharpe and his Mulerider Men's Basketball team will tip-off in the GAC Tournament Championship for the first time in program history. Southern Arkansas, on the cusp of its first conference tournament title in the program's Division II Era (1995-96) and first postseason tournament championship of any kind since the 1988-89 season, meets Arkansas-Monticello for the fifth time this campaign in a high-stakes affair scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. tip-off from inside UAM's Steelman Fieldhouse.
 
The Muleriders (15-4) enter the contest playing its best basketball of the season as the calendar has turned to March. SAU toppled (W3) East Central 82-74 inside the W.T. Watson Center on Wednesday evening in the tournament quarterfinals and passed up the Bison late by converting pressure free throws and forcing key turnovers in a statement win on Friday night.
 
Sunday afternoon's championship game, the GAC's tenth men's basketball tournament final, is in no way short on storylines. The two programs split the four-game regular season schedule with each winning a game on the road, were co-champions of the league's one-time only Eastern Division and are bitter rivals; a colorful history that spans multiple sports and dates back to the days of Watson and Steelman, two gentlemen whose names are immortalized on the gymnasiums these programs call home.
 
The history between the two schools goes back even further to an era when both universities were merely district agricultural schools established in the first decade of the 20^th century to serve the citizens of the southern regions of the Natural State. Fast forward over 110 years and the modern day versions of the Third District Agricultural School (SAU) and the Fourth District Agricultural School (UAM) will collide for forty minutes in a moment that undoubtedly will write its own chapter in this never-ending novel of south Arkansas rivals.
 
Southern Arkansas claimed the first matchup of the season with a 71-67 victory in Magnolia on January 11. Senior guard and GAC Player of the Year Aaron Lucas led the Muleriders with the first of five twenty-point games this season as he dropped 23 points, while All-GAC Honorable Mention pick Jalen Brooks grabbed ten rebounds; the first of eight such games for the Shreveport native in '21. In the game's waning seconds, it was junior newcomer Blake Rogers who took a pass from Lucas, drove just inside the perimeter, spun and knocked down a step-back jumper with five seconds left to break a 67-67 tie and send the Muleriders past UAM.
 
The Weevils returned the favor in Monticello on January 25; a 78-64 win for UAM that saw the host build a 28-point lead at the half. Southern Arkansas' second-half surge came up short as they outscored the Weevils 43-29 in the final twenty minutes. The Weevils shot extremely well in the first half as a 68.9% (20-29) clip helped distance themselves from SAU. Lucas led all scorers with 26 points in the loss which included five second-half trifectas. It marked just the second time in his career that he delivered back-to-back games of 20+ points.
 
UAM claimed a second consecutive win as the Weevils won 78-69 in Magnolia on February 8 behind a 20-11 run to close out the contest. The win snapped an eight-game home winning streak for the Muleriders and it put SAU a half game back of UAM in the win column for the lead in the GAC's Eastern Division. SAU led 33-31 at the intermission, but the Weevils erupted for 47 points in the second half. The contest featured 13 lead changes and 5 tied scores and saw Rogers score the first dozen points of the game for the Muleriders as part of a 12-4 run.
 
In the final week of the regular season and with a lot still hanging in the balance in terms of seeding for the league tournament, Southern Arkansas claimed a share of the GAC's Eastern Division lead with a 69-62 dismissing of the Weevils inside Steelman Fieldhouse on February 22. SAU shot 59.1% in the second half and five players scored in double figures for SAU led by Lucas' 18 points. Unanimous All-GAC selection Devante Brooks produced a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double; the 27^th of his career. Junior guard Victor Irhirhi dropped a vital dozen points, while Rogers and J. Brooks each followed with ten points.
 
In four games against the Weevils, SAU is averaging 68.2 ppg, while UAM is scoring at an average of 71.2 ppg. The Weevils have scored a total of 285 points in the regular season matchups, but the Muleriders have outscored their league foe 156-145 in the second half of play. Both teams are shooting over 44% against each other, while the Weevils have connected on three more three-point shots in four less attempts in the 160 minutes the teams have shared the floor together this season.
 
SAU holds the advantage in rebounding (130-112) and in steals (30-29), while the Weevils lead in assists (63-48), blocks (15-11) and fewer turnovers per game (13.5-15.5).
 
Individually, Lucas has averaged 20.5 ppg against UAM this season. He has recorded 20 assists, eight steals and six rebounds and is shooting 46.8% (22-47) from the floor and 50% (12-24) from three-point range. Rogers is also in double figures averaging 10.3 ppg on 48.6% shooting. J. Brooks has collected 32 rebounds and D. Brooks follows with 25. Both brothers are scoring over 9.0 ppg against the Weevils.
 
Since both programs became charter members of the GAC in 2011-12, SAU leads the series 14-8. The Weevils have won three out of the past five meetings and the series stands at 6-5 in favor of UAM in games played inside Steelman Fieldhouse. Sunday's meeting will be the first postseason matchup between the two programs since the 1993-94 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) Tournament; an 80-73 win for UAM.
 
Live coverage links, including the GAC Sports Network's coverage of the championship action, are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.