SHAWNEE, Okla. – The Southern Arkansas Women's Basketball team put up a valiant effort against the #1 Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm in the quarterfinal of the Great American Conference Tournament, but a strong third quarter showing from SNU found the Muleriders on the losing side of an 84-73 decision. SAU more than held their own against the #1 team in the first half, only seeing a four-point deficit leading into the half. The Crimson Storm flipped the script and used the third quarter to outscore SAU 24-15 and snag a lead the Muleriders couldn't overcome despite a dominant fourth quarter effort.

Jessica Jones led SAU scoring in her final game as a Mulerider. The senior concluded her impressive season with a 15-point effort with three baskets from three. Following Jones was junior Addy Tremie who posted 14 points with four of her five baskets coming from three. Freshman Brooklin Brown wrapped up double digit scoring with 11 points on two threes. The three-point dominant team made 11 from beyond the arc to wrap up the season with 19 games with double digit made three-pointers.

Tremie led first quarter scoring for the Muleriders with six points from two made three-pointers. The junior shot 100% from beyond the arc to lead a team 40% clip from three. The two teams each recorded six turnovers and eight rebounds in the quarter.

The Crimson Storm got on the board first, but it wasn't long before SAU retaliated with an opposing layup of their own. Morris' layup stood as the solo Mulerider basket until a Hill free throw at 6:17 and the solo Mulerider field goal until a Brown layup at 5:39. During that span and extending through the media timeout at 4:12, the Crimson Storm outscored SAU 14-5. Tremie made the first basket following the media, landing a three from the right corner. Morris made a larger dent in the SNU lead with two made free throws and Hill followed with a layup off her own steal. SAU held the Storm scoreless for 3:35, spanning from 4:45 to 1:10, leaving them scoreless for their longest streak of the quarter. SNU made a layup to extend their lead to four points, but an Addie Tremie three would reduce that lead to just a single point with another three from the right corner. SNU concluded first quarter scoring with two made free throws to enter the second quarter with an 18-15 lead.

SAU scored just a single point fewer than the Crimson Storm in the second quarter. The team improved to shoot 46.7% from the field and 60% from three, with Minter, Warren and Linzy all making baskets from beyond the arc. They forced eight turnovers, making seeing eight points from said TOs, while SNU only forced a lesser six Mulerider turnovers.

Neither team made a basket until the Crimson Storm landed a free throw off an SAU turnover at 8:25. Kylie Minter responded on the opposite end of the court with a three that cut the SNU lead to two-points. The Storm made a layup to extend their lead once again, but Warren reduced it to just a single point with a three from deep downtown. The Storm found their lead again with a three of their own and extended their lead even more with two made free throws. Brown fed Marlee Bright a perfect pass to set up her first of two consecutive layups. Linzy snagged SAU their first lead of the game with a three from the right corner, settling the score at 28-27. SNU regained their lead once again with a made free throw and four field goals while they held SAU scoreless for 3:17 until Tremie and Morris made back-to-back baskets to conclude the half.

Jones scored nine points in the third quarter alone, pulling ahead to lead both quarter and game scoring. The seven Mulerider turnovers versus SNU's four allowed the Storm to outscored SAU 24-25 in the quarter.

Jessica Jones made a dent in the four-point SNU lead right off the bat, sinking a three within the first 12 second of the half. The Storm extended that lead to three with two free throws, but Jones sunk yet another three to tie the game at 38 apiece. Kylie Minter made a layup to grab a lead for SAU, but SNU immediately tied it back up. Morris made a lead-taking layup, but the Storm wouldn't let the lead stand for long as they made a layup of their own. Once again, both teams next possessions would prove successful, with SAU pulling away and SNU tying things back up. It would be SAU's turn to play catch up as the Storm took off on a 16-0 run. The Muleriders saw their first basket since 5:15 when Jones sunk her third three of the quarter at 0:12. Jones' basket marked the final for both teams in the third, allowing the Storm to enter the final quarter with a 60-47 advantage.

The Muleriders outscored SNU 26-24 in the final quarter but were unable to make a comeback great enough to take the win. SAU saw a 46.7% shooting clip from the floor and 75% from three. The team only turned the ball over a single time in the final ten minutes inside the Firelake Arena.

SNU began final quarter scoring with a three and a layup to extend their lead to 18 points. Brooklin Brown made two free throws and a layup to get the Muleriders on the board in the quarter. Jones took advantage of an and one opportunity to cut the SNU lead to 11 points. Warren saw a jumper sandwiched between two SNU field goals followed by a Brown three that cut their deficit to ten points. The Storm made up for the three with a free throw and layup before the rival teams made negating threes. The teams scattered six combined free throws that allowed a 15-point SNU advantage, but SAU retaliated with an Addy Tremie three and two free throws from Jones to cut the Storm's lead back to 10-points. The final two minutes saw the Muleriders outscore the Storm 6-5, but SNU's high-scoring third quarter proved too tough to come back from and SAU fell 84-73.