MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas University Men's Basketball team (17-7, 13-5 GAC) welcomes Southern Nazarene and Oklahoma Baptist to Magnolia this week for the first of three final home games of the 2022-23 season. Southern Nazarene stands as the solo other GAC team to have clinched berth to the Championships and holds the top ranking in the conference (21-3, 17-1 GAC). The Crimson Storm and Muleriders will tipoff at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 16 inside the Panther Arena at Magnolia High School. Oklahoma Baptist will have the chance to improve their 12-12 (9-9 GAC) record and make a step towards the GAC Championships with a game in Monticello on Thursday. The Bison will make their way to Magnolia on Saturday, February 18 for a 3 p.m. tip. Live coverage links will be available at muleriderathletics.com.
The only GAC team to have dismissed SNU is Arkansas Tech who defeated the Storm 53-48 on January 12 in Russellville. The Muleriders fell to SNU 53-77 in Bethany in late January. SAU scored their fewest points of the season as they were held to a 35.3% shooting clip, their second lowest of the season (35.2, SOSU). SAU allowed the Storm to shoot at 53.2% which represents the best shooting clip of any GAC rival the Muleriders have faced.
The January matchup saw double digit scoring figures from just two SAU and SNU athletes. Blake Rogers led SAU scoring with 16 points and LaTreavin Black recorded 11. For the Crimson Storm, Tyler McGhie led all scoring with 27 points while teammate Nick Davis posted 15 points.
McGhie leads SNU scoring with an average 16.8 points per game, the fourth most in the conference. Three additional Southern Nazarene athletes are averaging double digits, including the sixth best scorer in the conference- Javon Jackson. Jackson leads the team with an average 2.3 assists per game and is averaging a team-leading 1.3 steals each matchup. McGhie and Eain Mowat sit as the number two and three three-point shooters with 45% shooting clips from beyond the arc.
Southern Nazarene is holding opponents to a conference-low 56.4 points per game and posts a +14.9 scoring margin, which stands over six points better than the next-best GAC team. The Crimson Storm posts the best field goal percentage with a combined team 48.5% shooting clip. They also post the best opponent field goal percentage, holding rivals to a conference-low 40.3%.
The top two rebounding teams will be going head to head inside the Panther Arena tonight. The Muleriders lead the league with their +5.9 rebounding margin with SNU trailing right behind with their +5.7 margin. SAU pulls down the most team rebounds, averaging 37.3 per game, while SNU holds opponents to a conference-low 26.8 rebounds, standing as the best of two GAC teams who allow less than 30 per game. The teams additionally share the same assist to turnover ratio of 0.89 and both stand in the +0.50 turnover margin range.
The Muleriders scored much better against the Bison in January, dismissing the Shawnee, Oklahoma team 88-83. The Muleriders recorded a 52.5% shooting clip against OBU with six Muleriders dipping into double digits in the win. Gregory Hammond Jr. recorded a double double with 13 points and 11 rebounds while Carel Ray Jr. led SAU scoring with 16 points and Black scored 15. Four Bison posted double digits with Paul King leading the effort with 31 points on top of seven assists.
King leads the Bison in points per game (16.0), steals (1.4), and assists (4.0). D.J. Freeman posts an impressive 61.5% shooting slip as OBU's second best scorer. His average 12.9 points per game sit alongside 6.6 rebounds, a figure that leads the Bison team. As a team, OK Baptist is averaging 73.2 ppg while allowing 72.8 for a +0.5 scoring margin.
