MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Gregory Hammond Jr. logged a hefty double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds and Southern Arkansas cut a 24-point deficit midway through the first half down to five points at the intermission, but Southeastern Oklahoma shot 50% from the floor for the game and used 24 makes from the charity stripe to earn an 11-point Great American Conference win, 79-68, on Saturday afternoon inside the W.T. Watson Center.
 
The loss snaps a seven-game win streak by the Muleriders (10-4, 6-2 GAC) who shot 35% from the floor and just 24% from three-point range against the Savage Storm. SAU outscored SOSU in paint points (24-16) and in points off turnovers (21-17) in the first half, but in the final twenty minutes managed just ten points inside and only four points off of turnovers. SOSU managed two dozen more attempts from the free throw line in the contest.
 
At the 8:13 mark of the first half, the Savage Storm led 33-9, but the Muleriders, behind a lively Watson Center faithful clawed back into the ballgame. Jerry Carraway Jr. added a pair of free throws to get the run started, Jessie Davis Jr. followed with a tough bucket inside and Carraway hammered a triple try on an assist from Brock Schreiner as the Muleriders quickly brought the deficit down to 17 points 77 seconds later.
 
Consecutive fast break layups from Carel Ray Jr. capped an 11-0 run by Southern Arkansas and after three points by the Savage Storm to go back up 36-20 the Muleriders used a second-straight 11-0 run to close out the half. Within the second half of the 22-3 jaunt, it was Ray Jr., Schreiner and Hammond Jr. that all got in on the scoring act with the latter slamming home a pair of transition dunks as the Muleriders cut the deficit to just two possessions at the break.
 
Triple tries by Kris Wyche and Schreiner immediately out of the intermission pushed SAU out front 37-36, but SOSU was not phased and utilized an 18-0 run over the next six and a half minutes to take a commanding 54-40 lead with just under 13 minutes remaining. The Muleriders would get within ten points of the lead down the stretch and within nine points twice in the final thirty seconds.
 
Schreiner added 11 points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals. LaTreavin Black scored seven points, grabbed seven rebounds, collected three assists and a trio of steals. Ray Jr. went for nine points and nine rebounds and Carraway added seven points, five assists and two steals.
 
The Muleriders meet Henderson State for the second and final time in the regular season on Thursday, January 19 in Magnolia. HSU topped Southern Arkansas 75-67 in the Great American Conference opener for both teams back on December 1 in Arkadelphia. Tip-off from inside the W.T. Watson Center is set for 7:30 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.