ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas placed four players in double figure scoring led by junior guard Blake Rogers' 22 points highlighted by a 5-for-9 effort from range and senior guard Aaron Lucas followed with 20 points and matched Rogers' three-point shooting clip. However, Ouachita engineered a defensive stop in the final twenty seconds and iced the game with free throws to stop the Muleriders 82-77 in Great American Conference play on Thursday night inside Bill Vining Arena. The contest saw a dozen lead changes including seven in the second half and four tied scores with the last one coming with 2:18 to play and the game tied at 73.
 
The Muleriders (16-11, 12-9 GAC) were nearly matched in rebounding by the Tigers as SAU finished at +1. Ouachita led in points in the paint (32-28), second-chance points (20-15) and shot 42.3% from three-point range to top Southern Arkansas on the Tigers' senior night.
 
SAU shot 40.6% from the floor and connected on a dozen of its 32 attempts from range which are tied for the most shots from beyond-the-arc by the Muleriders in a single game this season. Rogers connected for one sending SAU up 70-66 with 4:36 remaining. Nearly four minutes later, junior guard Victor Ihrihri connected on a good look from distance to give the Muleriders a 77-76 advantage with 39 seconds to play.
 
Ouachita responded with a tip in off of a missed driving layup that took just 13 seconds on the other end, but a potential game-tying three came up just short for the Muleriders in the waning seconds.
 
The Muleriders led at the break holding a 39-37 advantage. Midway through the opening twenty minutes, Lucas went on a personal 11-0 run that turned a 7-5 deficit into a 16-12 lead. He hit a three to put SAU out front 8-7 at the 14:35 mark of the first half, nailed another one 33 seconds later to answer a Ouachita trifecta and 29 seconds after his second make, following one of three steals by senior forward Devante Brooks, Lucas triggered in his third three in just over 60 seconds. At the 12:54 mark he capped his nearly dozen-donut run with a strong drive with the right hand to finish with a quick lay in off glass to put the Muleriders up 16-12.
 
Junior combo Jalen Brooks dropped in a 14-point, 15-rebound double double. D. Brooks added 14 points and seven rebounds with three steals. Lucas collected eight assists, four rebounds and three steals. Rogers grabbed six rebounds and was 5-for-7 from the free throw line.
 
The Muleriders close out the regular season on Saturday inside the W.T. Watson Center as they welcome Arkansas Tech to Magnolia for a 3 p.m. tip off. Prior to the action, SAU will honor its three senior student-athletes: Devante Brooks, Aaron Lucas and Jalen Brooks, who will take to the hardwood inside W.T. for the final time in what has been illustrious careers for all three young men. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.