MAGNOLIA, Ark. – With the strong finish to the Thanksgiving season, the Muleriders are coming back for seconds and look to make this December one to remember as all twelve Great American Conference members open up league play this Thursday evening. Southern Arkansas will take part in the action as they host the Henderson State Reddies on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and then travel to Searcy on Sunday for a 3 p.m. tip-off against the Harding Bisons. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
 
CONFERENCE OPENER BREAKDOWN
>>> The Muleriders are set to open up conference play at home for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign when Henderson State shwed up to the W.T. Watson Center. 
>>> SAU records its first 5-0 start since the 2015-16 campaign when the Muleriders completed their season in the GAC Tournament semifinals against Arkansas Tech and finihsed with a 19-9 overall record.
>>>Just four of the Muleriders first 10 matchup in 2023-24 are conference games, two of which will be played at home. While playing conference games at home, the Muleriders are 19-18 since the 2019-20 season.
>>>Southern Arkasnas has opened conference competition against Henderson State and Harding for every year since the 2018-2019 campaign.
>>> SAU has not defeated both the Bisons and Reddies in the same season since the 2017-2018 season
>>> Since becoming affiliated with the Great American Conference, Southern Arkansas is 4-8 in conference openers, with all of those wins coming against Oklahoma competition.
 
FIRST TIME SINCE…
>>> Head Coach Adam Collins looks to open up his sixth year in the GAC with SAU's first conference opener win since the 2016-2017 season when the Muleriders overcame the East Central Tigers 54-48.
>>> Southern Arkansas is put in a prime position with its 5-0 start to seek its third consecutive double-digit win campaign and just its fifth while being members of the Great American Conference.
>>> The Muleriders took part in their first GAC Tournament since the 2019-2020 year and now look to begin a new tradition of being full-time members of said event.
>>> For just the second occasion while under Adam Collins, the 'Riders recorded three consectuive 100+ point ballgames. In all five game, Southern Arkansas has not scored less than 80 points.
>>> For the first time since 2004-2005, SAU has not alloed over 65 points in a ballgame in their first five matchups.
>>> Southern Arkansas begins conference play looking to finish the season with their first above .500 record in the league since 2015-2016, which would be just their second in the GAC era.

HENDERSON STATE REDDIES (4-2) (0-0 GAC)
>>> SAU begins its 2023-24 conference opener with an undefeated record for the first time since the 2019-2020 basketball season when the Muleriders opened GAC play against HSU 3-0
>>> Henderson State currently ranks eigth in NCAA Division II in three pointers per game while averaging 9.7 buckets from beyond the arch, which is first the GAC. The Reddies sit at 26th nationally in three point percentage with a clip of 38.4% to rank second in the league. The Reddies are atop of the GAC from the line as they ranks second in free throws made per game with 18 on average and second in free throw attempts per game after averaging 23.67 trips to the line.
>>> HSU brings on transfer grad student Tori Gittens who leads the conference in three point percentage (57.7% | 15th nationally), second in three pointers (15), and third in three pointers per game (2.5). Returning grad student adn First Team All-GAC Ashley Farrar ranks top-20 in the country in both free throws (37 | 2nd GAC) made and free throw attempts (47 | 1st GAC).
>>> Henderson State has brought on just four newcomers lead by Gittens and freshman Natalie Cardenas who has been orchestrating her new offense with a team-high 19 assists thus far while averaging 3.2 assists per game. Sophomore Olivia Allen has been a key factor for HSU getting the ball back as she leads her team with 12 steals (9th GAC).
>>> The Reddies are coming off of their first victory over a ranked opponent since 2020-21 as they overcame the #9 Texas Women's University Pioneers.
 
HARDING BISONS (4-1) (0-0 GAC)
>>> The Muleriders and the Bisons clash in yet another early season conference opening week for the fifth consecutive season not including the 2020-2021 Covid-19 year.
>>> Harding brings back ten of their club from the previous campaign with nine newcomers in which six come in as freshmen and three transfer into Searcy.
>>> In 2022-23, The Bisons finished their season in Shawnee, Oklahoma as the Great American Conference Tournament runner-ups as tehy fell to Southern Nazarene in the championship final.
>>> Thus far, Harding leads the league in statistics such as rebound margin (14.0 | 6th nationally) and rebounds per game (46.2 | 11th nationally). HU sits at second in the conference and 13th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game with 31.4 per game while also not turning the ball over often as they have just averaged 14.8 turnovers per game.
>>> The Great American Conference Player of the Year returns for her senior campaign as Sage Hawley looks to continue her dominance in the paint from previous years. This year, Hawley ranks first int eh GAC in double-doubles (3 | 7th nationally), defensive rebounds per game (8.8 | 4th nationally), and rebounds per game (11.0 | 9th nationally). She also sits in the top five in field goal attempts (84 | 2nd GAC), rebounds (55 | 2nd GAC), total blocks (8 | 3rd GAC), blocks per game (1.60 | 3rd GAC), field goals (42 | 3rd GAC), and field goal percentage (50.0% | 4th GAC).
 
EARLY SEASON DOMINANCE
>>> Southern Arkansas has dominated the competition handed to them with all five games scoring 80 or more points and sitting them atop the central region in scoring offense with 96.4 points per game.
>>> Not only are the Muleriders scoring as much as they are, but a strong defense has been key to all of their nation-leading statistics as they have the largest scoring margin, turnover margin, turnovers forced per game, and steals per game.
>>> While the nation-leading stats stick out more, the region-leading numbers need to be known as well, such as averaging 20.6 offensive boards per game and the 13th ranked 45.8 total rebounds per game (2nd GAC) need the same acknowledgment.
>>> The ball just seems to stay in the Muleriders' possession as they lead NCAA Division I and II in total steals while playing atleast one or two games less than most in DII. Western Kentucky leads DI, but has played four more games than Southern Arkansas with the Muleriders leading the Lady Toppers.
>>> In total, Southern Arkansas has outcored their opponents 482 points to 270 with its closing game being a 19-point victory of MIAA member Lincoln University (Mo.). The other four matchups for the Muleriders have not seen a score difference of less than 40 points.
>>> SAU's dominance when looking at statistics as the Muleriders have at least a 0.5x more in all scoring and defensive stats than their previous competition.
>>> Thanks to the dominant defense, no opposing teams against SAU have scored above 65 points, but the level of competition is soon to change with conference matchups. Thus far SAU has competed against five teams with a combined record of 8-21. Starting conference play, Henderson State and Harding combine for a 8-3 record.
 
 
NEWLY ESTABLISHED 'RIDERS 
>>> Southern Arkansas' eight newest members have brought the improvement that Collins' has been searching as altogether the group has accounted for 238 of the 482 total points thus far in the year.
>>> As a collective group they are averaging 48.3 points per game while knocking down 84 of their 189 total shots for a field goal percentage of 44.4%. 
>>> Up to this point, the newcomers have been to the stripe many times and have come away with points. In total, all the newly established 'Riders have shot from the line 78 times this season and come away with points 56 points from the stripe while returners have attempted 69 shots from the stripe and made 35 of said shots. The team's free throw percentage rests at a 61.9%.
>>> The wave of these brand-new Muleriders have been making their impact heard already as they have received many of the minutes alongside veterans such as Diamond Morris and Addy Tremie. Altogether the newcomers have averaged 98.3 minutes while intotal have earned 483 minutes of playing time thus far. Returners have seen 517 minutes in the court of play.
>>> Dominating in the paint has been a massive reason for early succes from SAU and these new 'Riders have shown that as they have been responsible for 110 boards and counting.
>>> The Muleriders lead NCAA Division I and II in steals per game with 25.2/GM and are second in Division III. The new faces with Collins have boosted the level of play for SAU as they have combined for 68 of Southern Arkansas' 126 steals this season.
 
ONE IN THE CHAMBER(S)
>>> Junior transfer Tequaza "Qua" Chambers has found her shot within the previous two ballgames, and gaining more and more minutes with each strong performance. The Plain Dealing, Louisiana native has begun to catch fire as she has only miss three of her last 20 shots going 17-20. She has accounted for a double-digit point game the last three matchups earning more with every minute she is on the court. In Chambers most recent contest against former GSC foe Christian Brothers, she made 11 of her 12 shots of the night as well as her third consecutive perfect night from the stripe going 2-2 and accounting for 24 total points on the night.
 
 
HOOPS 101
>>> The number of points scored in the last three consecutive matchups for the Muleriders. Southern Arkansas only allowed 53.33 points given up in those games (vs Arlington Baptist 101-51; vs Centenary 101-51; vs Christian Brothers 101-59).  This is just the second season under Collins' tenure and during the GAC era that the Muleriders have recorded three consecutive 100+ point games.
 
 
POINTS, POINTS, POINTS
>>> Four players are averaging double-digit points thus far with Diamond Morris on top averaging 14.2pts/GM (2.2 more than her final average in 2022-23). With the Sheridan, Arkansas native, senior Addy Tremie (12.8pts/GM), and juniors Tequaza Chambers (11.6pts/GM) and Zykeria Anderson (10.2pts/GM) join the club. Morris was the lone scorer with a double-digit average last campaign. All but Anderson have been responsible for at least one 20+ point performance this season with Morris' 27 being a team-high thus far.
 
 
HARDWOOD HEISTING
>>> The Muleriders are leading NCAA Division II in steals per game and in total steals. Along witht that, Southern Arkansas are also leading Division II in turnovers forced per game averaging 39/GM. In their five games, SAU's opponents have turned the ball over to the Muleriders on 195 occasions, and if that average were to hold, SAU is on pace to force 1,092 turnovers in 2023-24. Scoring efficiency off of turnovers have been just under half of the reason for the Muleriders having put up 482 total points. The 199 points off of turnovers accounts for 41.1% of Southern Arkansas' points this campaign.
 
 
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
BY THE NUMBERS
 
2,139- The number of days since the Muleriders overcome both Henderson State and Harding in the same season. The 2017-18 campaign saw SAU split the series against the two Natural State that season, but since then Southern Arkansas has gone 3-8 against the Reddies while gradually growing the series closer in the last three seasons.  The Bisons hold the record since then with a 9-2 lead over SAU, but with two of the last four matchups within one score.
482- The number of points scored by Southern Arkansas this season while having played just five games. The Muleriders high-powered offense is evident in their first five games as they have been averaging 96.4 points per game, which is ranked second in NCAA Divison II and first in the Central Region. SAU's 482 points is not the top in the nation, but Simon Fraser's (Canada) 780 is the most total points by a team in DII. The Red Leafs have played six more contests than the Muleriders.
199- The number of points scored off of turnovers this season. Southern Arkansas ranks high in nearly every category related to turnovers and steals, but what they have done after causing the change of possession is remarkable as they have scored 199 points off of turnovers with a current season-high coming in the matchup against Centenary (La.) when the Muleriders accounted for 60 points off of turnovers.
103- The number of offensive rebounds that the Muleriders have recorded in their five ballgames while averaging a region-leading 20.6 offensive boards per competition. Southern Arkansas 103 offensive rebounds is just their second-most in the first five games under Collins as his 2019-20 roster (17-12) accounted for 106 in to start their season.
86.7- The percentage of free throws made by Lynn Griffin while she has been at the line. Griffin has been the Mulerider's top free throw shooter thus far as she has knocked down 13 of her 15 shots from the stripe.  Kyleigh Scoggins and Tequaza Chambers have also both been solid from the line as Scoggins has made 10 of her 12 (83.3%) opportunities and Chambers made 9 of her 11 (81.8%).
8- The number of statistics in which the Muleriders are ranked at the top of the Central Region. These areas of the game include free throw attempts per game (29.40 | 4th nationally), free throws made per game (18.20 | 10th nationally), offensive rebounds per game (20.6 | 4th nationally), scoring margin (42.4 | 1st nationally), scoring offense (96.4 | 2nd nationally), steals per game (25.2 | 1st nationally), turnover margin (18.00 | 1st nationally), and turnovers forced per game (39.00 | 1st nationally). 
3.75- The average steals per game that Marlee Bright has
recorded so far this season with 15 total steals to her merit. Southern Arkansas has seven players that currently have 10+ steals and due to that, all seven of them are averaging at least 2 steals per contest in which Zykeria Anderson leads the team with 16 steals and an average of 3.2/GM.