MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas enters the holiday season with a 6-2 record and a 1-2 record in the Great American Conference and looks to improve each as they travel to Russellville, Arkansas to take on Natural State opponent Arkansas Tech inside Tucker Coliseum at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday (Dec. 17) which will be followed up by a trip to Tyler, Texas where the Muleriders will tip-off with the Patriots of UT-Tyler on Tuesday (Dec. 19) at 1:00 p.m.
 
'RIDERS VS. NON-CONFERENCE
>>> Under Adam Collins (2018-Present), the Muleriders are 13-7 against NCAA Division II non-conference opponents. Of those twenty ballgames, Southern Arkansas has only played one team from the Lone Star State in the University of Texas at Tyler and currently sits at 0-2 against the Patriots. The rest of the teams include: Lincoln (Mo.) (4-1), Lindenwood (0-1), Upper Iowa (2-1), Mississippi College (1-1), Missouri S&T (1-1), Rogers St. (2-0), Christian Brothers (2-0), Newman (1-0).
>>> As a Great American Conference affiliate, Southern Arkansas has gone 21-27 again NCAA Division II programs. From 2011 to the end of 2018, the Muleriders have faced Delta St. (0-3), West Alabama (0-1), Central Oklahoma (0-1), Texas Women's (0-1), Southwest Baptist (0-2), Texas A&M International (0-1), Arkansas-Fort Smith (0-1), Northeastern St. (1-2), Texas A&M Commerce (1-2), LeMoyne Owen (1-2), Roger St. (2-0), Texas A&M Kingsville (2-0), Tarleton St. (0-1), Angelo St.(1-0), Emporia St. (0-1), Lindenwood (0-1), Lincoln (Mo.) (0-1).
>>> Since the 2011-2012 campaign, the Muleriders have gone 6-10 against NCAA Division II programs while at the competition's home court. The last time SAU beat one of these teams on the road was this year against Christian Brothers (Nov. 21).
 
RULERS OF THE COLISEUM
>>> Southern Arkansas travels to Tucker Coliseum in Russelville, Arkansas to take on the Golden Suns of Arkansas Tech where the Muleriders have rarely ever beaten or had a relatively competitive contest against.
>>> Needless to say, that the Suns have had a hold on SAU for the last 47 years. Arkansas Tech's record against the Muleriders since joining the NCAA stands at 6-54. Despite winning the first two battles between the rivals by 21.5 points, SAU did not win consecutive basketball games against Arkansas Tech until the years 2004-2006 when Southern Arkansas defeated the Golden Suns in three consecutive matchups.
>>> Since the NCAA era, the Muleriders have only been able to defeat Arkansas Tech inside the Tucker Coliseum twice; once in 2005 and once in 2020. The most previous time that SAU has overcome the Golden Suns was back in the 2020 season when Southern Arkansas defeated ATU 96-95 in chatic overtime fashion. Since then, the Muleriders have lost eight straight battles with Tech. For just the second time in the last three seasons, SAU saw a single-digit final deficit against Arkansas Tech with the tightest matchup coming last December in Magnolia where Tech won 89-87.
 
OVERCOME BY OVERTIME
>>> Since Adam Collins came on staff, Southern Arkansas has not been in many games going on after the end of regulation. He has been in six overtime battles within his six years as the Muleriders head coach.
>>> Within those six overtime outcomes, Southern Arkansas has just won the one battle against Natural State foe Arkansas Tech in th 2019-2020 campaign when the Muleriders needed and delivered a 17-point comeback with just nine minutes and twelve seconds left on the game clock. SAU's 29-point fourth period gave the 'Riders the life they needed to push throught to overtime and take down the Golden Suns 96-95 in the Tucker Coliseum located in Russellville, Arkansas.
>>> Collins' five other overtime outcomes have come against Mississippi College, University of Texas at Tyler, Henderson State, Harding, and Ouachita Baptist. Southern Arkansas has not has the best of times while playing after regulation ends.
>>> In all six overtime endings, the Muleriders never trailed by more than eight points for the final score and has been more than up to the task to keep themselves in the ballgame.
>>> Last season, SAU played in three consecutive overtime matchups with UT-Tyler being the first of the three coming up next Tuesday.
 
DRIVING IN DECEMBER
>>> Southern Arkansas is looking towards a couple of drives through Arkansas and Texas this upcoming week to add on to their trips in December as they played Harding already on December 3rd in Searcy, Arkansas.
>>> The Muleriders look forward to play in just their twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth ballgames in December under Adam Collins, but they will also be just the ninth and tenth matchups on the road in the month since the 2018-19 season.
>>> Of the twenty-three contests already played, Southern Arkansas has only claimed victory in eight of the matchups. Wins included, Ouachita Baptist (2019-20 | 78-58), Rogers St. (2019-20 | 74-49), Texas A&M-Texarkana (2019-20 | 110-52), Henderson St. (2021-22 | 112-99), Ouachita Baptist (2021-22 | 102-99), Champion Christian (2021-22 | 115-65), Arkansas Baptist (2022-23 | 112-74), and University of the Ozarks (2022-23 | 110-47),
>>> Eight of the ballgames have taken place on the road in enemy territories in which the Muleriders have won a quarter of the December road matchups. Of all eight of those games, SAU's scoring margin comes out at -0.75.
 
TREMIE FOR THREE!!!
>>> Senior Addy Tremie continues to lead her team from beyond the arc as she has made 18 of her 45 shots from deep and continues to improve her shot even further.
>>> In the Muleriders last outing against Ouachita Baptist, Tremie recored her second best night in point totals of 2023-24 with 18 thanks to her making four of her seven attempts from range.
>>> The Sulphur, Louisiana native caught fire out of no where when the 'Riders needed it most down by nine to the Tigers. Tremie accounted for all four of her threes back to back to back to back to get Southern Arkansas back within two points in the third period.
>>> Last season, Tremie averaged 1.57 three-pointers per game and finished with 44 at the end of the campaign. This season, Addy averages 2.25 three-pointers per game thanks to her 18 made thus far.
 
SISI "REBOUNDING" REESE
>>> Sihirah Reese has been leading the team in rebounds lately and seems she will continue this trend as she has recorded 43 total rebounds this season in which she came down with 17 offensive boards and 26 defensive boards.
>>> The sophomore has been averaging, and leading the team, with 5.4 rebounds per game and saw her best performance with the statistic against Ouachita Baptist with ten rebounds.
 
FROM THE STRIPE
>>> The Muleriders and their upcoming opponents rank at the top or near in their conference for free throw attempts per game, free throw percentage, and free throws made per game.
>>> Southern Arkansas is currently at the top of the GAC for trips to the line (24.62) with ATU right behind them (23.71). UT-Tyler ranks second in the LSC for free throw percentage with 78.8. Arkansas Tech leads the Great American Conference in free throws made per game with 16.71.
 
TAKING DOWN TECH
>>> Southern Arkansas looks to bounce back and end a two-game losing streak after falling to both Harding and Ouachita Baptist. They now look towards defeating in-state rival Arkansas Tech to give them the right boost of confidence going into Tyler, Texas to rematch the Elite 8 Patriots.
>>> Head Coach Adam Collins has defeated the Golden Suns, and in Russellville at that, but has yet to do so since the 2019-2020 campaign when the Muleriders came back to force Arkansas Tech into overtime. 
>>> SAU looks to end its in-season losing streak, but at the same time seeks to end the eight-game losing streak to Arkansas Tech in the process.
 
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
BY THE NUMBERS
 
1,101 >>> The number of days since teh Muleriders have defeated the Golden Suns. It has been just over three years since Southern Arkansas has claimed victory against the group from Pope County. The scoring margin with the last eight ballgames between the two lean in favor of Arkansas Tech by 9.5 points as SAU has closed the gap over the last few years.
264 >>> The number of turnovers forced by the Muleriders this season. Southern Arkansas ranked at the top of the nation in forced turnovers per game, but has declined just slightly as competition starts to ramp up in the Great American Conference. The 'Riders are now just the second-best team in the land, first in the Central Region, and first in the GAC in forced turnovers per game averaging 33/GM.
170 >>> The number of steals by the by the Muleriders this season. Southern Arkansas has been averaging 21.2 steals per game and continues to lead the NCAA's Division I and Division II. SAU's 170 steals would also rank at the top of Division I by at least 25 steals with the nearest team to them being Boston College.
107 >>> The number of points scored by senior Diamond Morris so far this season. In her first eight game this season, Morris has record six double-digit scoring game which is one less than her double-digit games last season in her first eight games, but she is on pace to outscore herself last campaign while averaging 13.4 points per game.
22.1 >>> The percentage of three-point shots counting against the Muleriders this season. Southern Arkansas' defense currently ranks in the middle of the Great American Conference, but its three-point defense has been stellar thus far only allowing 22.1 % to get knocked down from beyond the arc. SAU currently lead the conference in the statistic while also ranking 11th in the Division II.
4 >>> The number of times that Southern Arkansas has played Arkansas Tech before Christmas since becoming an NCAA program. SAU is 0-4 against the Golden Suns in the ballgames. The two rivals will face-off in Russellville for just the third time before the man in the big red suit comes to town.
2 >>> The number of teams that Southern Arkansas has played from the Lone Star Conference in the Adam Collins era. Both teams were the University of Texas at Tyler the last two seasons. The Muleriders will compete once more with the Patriots on their home court. SAU has lost the last to meetings, but commanded the majority of each game. The 'Riders lost each contest by six points with last campaign's matchup going into overtime.