MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas Men's Basketball will take their final Oklahoma trip of the regular season to take on the Southeastern Oklahoma Savage Storm and East Central Tigers. When the Oklahoma teams came to Magnolia in January the Muleriders split the series, beating ECU before falling to SOSU. SAU will first stop in Durant on Thursday, February 9 for a 7:30 p.m. tip against the Savage Storm before heading to the home of East Central for a 3 p.m. tipoff on Saturday. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
Southeastern is a game back of Southern Arkansas with a 11-4 GAC record they've bolstered with six straight wins. Four of the six wins have seen more than 90 points from the Savage Storm. Their most recent loss was dealt on January 18 by the conference leading Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm. East Central enters the week as the number seven team in the conference with a 7-8 record. The Tigers recorded two wins last week including a 70-63 win over Arkansas Tech. ECU will have the chance to improve their record on Thursday against UAM while the Muleriders are taking on the Storm.
Gregory Hammond Jr. leads Mulerider scoring with an average 12.3 points per game. The junior leads three other Muleriders that are averaging double digits, including senior LaTreavin Black who is averaging 11.2 ppg at a team-leading 55.8% shooting clip. Three Mulerider athletes rank in the GAC's top-10 for rebounding with Black leading the way with an average 7.0 per game. Sophomore Carel Ray Jr. and Hammond also find themselves in the ranking.
The Muleriders seek redemption against the Savage Storm after Southeastern beat them on their home court in January. In the 68-79 loss Hammond led team scoring with 20 points while only one other Mulerider dipped into double digit scoring figures. Hammond recorded a career-high 14 rebounds and recorded his first double-double of the season. The loss represents the Muleriders' worst shooting game of the year. The team shot a season-low 35.2% while allowing the Savage Storm to record a 50% shooting clip.
The Muleriders have yet to win a game in Durant since the 2016-17 season when they pulled off a single-point victory. The Savage Storm absolutely trounced the Muleriders the last time they had a home court advantage, dropping a triple digit scoring figure while holding SAU to 73 points. Only one of Southeastern's four double digit scorers from the January 2022 30-point Savage Storm victory made his return for the 2022-23 season. Jett Sternberger dropped 23 points against the Muleriders in Durant last season and proceeded to lead Savage Storm scoring with 25 points in this season's first meeting between the two GAC teams.
Sternberger leads team scoring for the Savage Storm and his 18.4 points per game ranks third in the conference. Teammate Brennen Burns also ranks top-10 in scoring with 14.8 ppg. Three additional Southeastern Athletes are averaging double digits scoring figures including Kyle Leslie. Leslie is the Savage Storm's leading scorer from three, averaging 2.5 per game and ranking fifth in the conference with his 45.6% shooting clip from three. Burns' average 4.8 assists per game and 2.8 assist/turnover ratio top the conference.
Southeastern Oklahoma's scoring offense leads the conference at an average 86.3 points per game. Their defense is allowing a 77.8 ppg to combine for a conference second-place scoring margin of +8.5. The Savage Storm is combining for a 47.2% shooting clip and is averaging a conference-leading 10.8 threes per game at a 39.3% clip.
The Muleriders have failed to record a win in Ada since 2015 and have only recorded two wins in the Kerr Activities Center since the 2011-12 season. SAU is 4-1 against the Tigers in their last five matchups with their solo loss coming in Ada. In that loss, Rogers led all scoring with 26 points to lead three Riders that reached double digits. Four Tigers reached that mark with Jakeem Acres standing as the only athlete to return for this season.
Acres led team scoring alongside Keyon Thomas in the January matchup against the Muleriders earlier this season. Both Tigers posted 13 points while two of their teammates also hit double digits. Rogers led Mulerider scoring in the Magnolia matchup with 18 points followed by Hammond with 15 and senior Brock Schreiner with 14. Thomas leads East Central scoring with 13.5 points per game to stand as the only Tiger averaging double digit scoring figures.
East Central posts the second-best scoring defense in the conference, allowing an average 65.7 points per game, and ranks just above SAU with the GAC's third-best scoring margin (+7.8). The Tigers have the best shooting clip in the conference at 48% and are holding opponents to a second-place clip of 40.7%. They are only allowing opponents to shoot 30.7% from three to lead the GAC.
