DURANT, Okla. – Oklahoma is known for its stormy weather, but Southern Arkansas showed how to calm the Storm down with a stellar second half performance in Durant, Oklahoma Thursday evening against Great American Conference foe Southeastern Oklahoma State. Southern Arkansas was able to win thanks to a strong second half defense accompanied with a hot offense led by senior Addy Tremie.
 
Escaping Thursday as victors, SAU earns its eighth win of the season while achieving its third triumph in league play. The Bloomer Sullivan Arena has proven to be a difficult environment for the Muleriders, but for the first time since February 2018 Southern Arkansas defeats SEOSU on its own court.
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Tremie recorded a career-high as a Mulerider in scoring with 22 points against the Savage Storm defense with a 52.9% from the floor and 57.1% from three-point range. The senior set another scoring personal-best as she accounted for nine made field goals of her 17 total attempts from the floor. The Sulphur, Louisiana native tied her Mulerider career-high with six rebounds against Southeastern Oklahoma State. Four others retrieved at least four boards including team-high Zykeria Anderson (7), Jessica Clemons (4), Tequaza Chambers (4), and Sihirah Reese (4). Chambers recorded her first double-digit point game since playing Ouachita Baptist (12/9) for her sixth game with ten or more points this season. Qua accounted for the team-high in steals for her 30^th (leads team) takeaway this campaign.
 
The Muleriders tied a season-high for free throw percentage as they shot 10-12 from the line for 83.3%. Southern Arkansas forced 22 turnovers against Southeastern Oklahoma State that resulted in 27 points off of turnovers along with ten steals as a team.
 
FIRST PERIOD
Early on in this contest, it looked to be a shootout between the Muleriders and the Savage Storm as the largest lead in the first period was by four points in favor of Southern Arkansas until Southeastern's Eryn Dolan knocked down an impact three-pointer to give the Storm the momentum to then make a layup by Caitlyn Kobiske for the 13-12 lead over SAU. SEOSU extended the lead to as much as three points. The 'Riders hung around till the end of the quarter to just be down 16-17 going into the second.
 
SECOND PERIOD
Southern Arkansas re-earned the lead early in the following quarter thanks to a couple made jumpers from Tremie. The Muleriders retained the lead for the majority of the first half, but would then face a Southeastern Oklahoma State rally to tie the ballgame going into halftime at 27.
 
THIRD PERIOD
Much like the first period, neither team seemed to be able to separate from one another as it looked to keep the shootout going. This period was back and forth as it recorded six lead changes. With under a minute and a half left in third, Tremie hit a jumper in the paint to go up three (largest lead since 6:40 left in the second). At that moment, the momentum had swung all in SAU's favor as Chambers knocked down a jumper of her own to go up 49-44 into the final quarter of play.
 
FOURTH QUARTER
From then on out, it was all Southern Arkansas as the Muleriders pulled away in the fourth with a couple three-pointers made from Chloe Wilbanks to push the SAU lead to 11 points (57-46). The 'Riders would not let up as the lead increased to 15 points with the final score being 67-52.
 
NEXT GAME
Southern Arkansas now prepares to travel to Ada, Oklahoma where it will compete against the East Central Tigers inside the Kerr Activities Center at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday (Jan. 13). For more information on Mulerider Women's Basketball, check out www.MuleriderAthletics.com or look us up @muleridersports on X, Facebook, and Instagram.