MAGNOLIA, Ark. – If Gregory Hammond Jr. was the question on Thursday night inside a lively W.T. Watson Center, then there was no answer to be found. The lengthy junior guard delivered a game-high 23 points highlighted by a 5-for-7 clip from three-point range to go along with a team-high seven rebounds, two steals and an assist as the Muleriders used a big second half of play to top Henderson State 79-61 in Great American Conference action. The win moves SAU back into the win column in league play at 7-2 with an overall mark of 11-4.

Southern Arkansas trailed 31-28 at the end of a first half that saw seven lead changes and four tied scores with both teams trading baskets and neither leading by more than four points through the first eleven and a half minutes of play in a rematch of the December 1 league opener.

HSU's first half advantage grew to as much as eight points at 26-18 with 7:35 remaining. Senior guard Blake Rogers connected on a jumper, Hammond Jr. hit one of two first-half trifectas and Rogers followed up with a three-point make as the 8-0 run by the Muleriders tied the game at 26 with 4:56 left before the intermission. The two teams combined for just seven points in the final five minutes of play as pesky defensive efforts broke out on both ends of the floor in the first half.

Coming out of the half, the Muleriders used a couple of baskets by Brock Schreiner, a bucket from Hammond Jr., an old fashioned and-1 conversion from LaTreavin Black and a pair of corner threes from Kris Wyche to grab a seven-point lead at 43-36 through the under-16 media.

The Reddies would manage to get as close as five points to the SAU lead in the final 14 minutes of play, while twice closing the margin to seven in the last eight minutes of action.

The Muleriders shot 64% from the floor in the second half and outscored HSU in points off of turnovers 25-2 in the last twenty minutes of play. Much of the Reddies' production came inside paint as HSU led in paint points (+18) and in rebounding (+7). SAU defended very well along the perimeter holding HSU to just two makes in 15 attempts from three (13.3%).

SAU's 52.6% collective shooting effort is the fourth game this season at 50% or better and third against a GAC opponent.

Black followed Hammond with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting with six rebounds, four of SAU's seven steals and a pair of assists. Schreiner added a dozen points with two rebounds and two assists.

Southern Arkansas heads to Searcy on Saturday, January 21 for a primetime tip-off against the Harding Bisons (5-10, 1-8 GAC) inside Rhodes Reaves Fieldhouse. The Muleriders have won nine straight against HU including four on the road in central Arkansas. Scheduled start time is set for 7:30 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.