MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Muleriders get their first winning-streak since starting the season 6-0 as they come off defeating Southeastern Oklahoma State (67-52) and East Central (78-52) both on the road. Southern Arkansas brings back the hot hand into the icy tundra of Columbia County to face off against the #5/2 Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm Thursday at 5:30 p.m. which will be followed by a Saturday matchup against the Oklahoma Baptist Bison at 1:00 p.m.

Southern Nazarene (14-0 | 8-0 GAC)
>>> Southern Nazarene's start to the 2023-24 campaign has been a most impressive display as they have yet to be defeated, but while also winning convincingly for the Women's Basketball Coaches Association to rank them at #5 in the national poll while also receiving the #2 spot in the division II media poll.
>>> Among all of NCAA Division II, the Crimson Storm is the lone undefeated squad with significant victories against #2 Minnesota State (73-56), Missouri Southern State (73-52), Lubbock Christian (67-64), #25 Northwestern Oklahoma State (65-47), #13 Harding (60-51), and Arkansas Tech (71-67).
>>> SNU ranks within the top 25 in six separate statistics: 5.4 blocks per game (8th | 1st GAC), 34.6 defensive field goal percentage (16th | 2nd GAC), 14.1 fouls per game (17th | 1st GAC), 29.3 defensive rebounds per game (22nd | 2nd GAC), 54.4 points allowed per game (11th | 1st GAC), 25.1 defensive three-point percentage (21st | 2nd GAC),
>>> Southern Nazarene's Hannah Giddey has been dominant to say the least. She is a key figure for why the Crimson Storm's defense has been as suffocating as it has. Giddey, among division II, ranks first in blocks per game averaging 4.07/game. The transfer from Oral Roberts also ranks second in the nation in total blocks with 57 and seventh in the country in defensive rebounds per contest with 8.1.
>>> The Crimson Storm also brings into Magnolia the most recent D2CIDA Division II National Player of the Week, Lauryn Reither. Reither scored 26 points against #13 Harding last Thursday, including 20 in the second half. Against Arkansas Tech she scored a career-high 32 points with 14 of those coming in the fourth period.  For the week she hit 53% from the floor and 60% from three.
 
Oklahoma Baptist (6-8 | 3-5 GAC)
>>> Oklahoma Baptist has had a shaky start to their 2023-24 season as they rest at 6-8 with a 3-5 record in the Great American Conference. The Bison have seemed to start changed their trajectory lately though with a victory against Arkansas Tech in Shawnee, Oklahoma and a narrow overtime loss to #13 Harding while at home.
>>> OBU is set to face off against Southern Arkansas on Saturday, but matches up with Arkansas-Monticello on Thursday for their second trip to the Natural State thus far.
>>> While they are not ranked in the top 25 of any statistics in the nation, the Bison have still shown to have a tough defensive ballclub. Oklahoma Baptist is 35th in division II for its 4.2 blocks per game, which is fourth in the conference. Even with a record below .500, OBU's defense has only allowed one team to score 80 or more points against them (NWOSU | 70-91).
>>> As league play keeps unfolding, the Bison have gotten better and better on the defensive side of the ball as they gave up just 48 points to Arkansas Tech who has been averaging 72.3 points per game.
>>> Jaedyn Getman has been Oklahoma Baptist's top player thus far as she leads the Bison in shooting (90-198 | 45.5%), free throws (53-60 | 88.3%), scoring (18 points per game), and defensive rebounds per game (4.6/game).
 
THAWING OUT
>>> As most of the Ark-La-Tex area begins to thaw out, the Muleriders have begun their own process of thaws out after a cold start to Great American Conference play. Southern Arkansas opened up league competition with a victory against Henderson State, but would then be followed a four-game losing streak heading into the winter break. After a 3-1 start since coming back from break, the Muleriders have begun to heat back up.
>>> Since coming back from the break, Southern Arkansas has defeated Southwestern Oklahoma State (88-55), Southeastern Oklahoma State (67-52), and East Central (78-62). The Muleriders only loss came in a nail-biter against the now #10/16 Northwestern Oklahoma State Lady Rangers (53-57).
>>> Among the first four conference contests, SAU was shooting 33% from the floor, but would turn that into a 41.5% during these last four ballgames. From three, the Muleriders hit 26.9% of their shots from three and would change that to a percentage of 35.9% in the last four. Free throw shooting went from 67.6% to 79.7%.

DAVID VS GOLIATH
>>> Southern Arkansas made its first appearance in the Great American Conference tournament last March for the first time since 2021 when the whole league qualified for the tournament.
>>> The Muleriders entered as the eighth-seeded team and was matched up with the eventual tournament champions, first-seeded Southern Nazarene. The Crimson Storm went on a tear of GAC competition with their only loss being to league runner-up Harding during the regular season. The Crimson Storm entered the NCAA Tournament, but would be bounced out by first-seeded Minnesota-Duluth.
>>> The Muleriders are looking at a David versus Goliath situation as the defending Great American Conference champions enter the W.T. Watson Center Thursday evening.
>>> Both squads run nearly opposite game plans as the Crimson Storm would rather play in the paint and Southern Arkansas' tendency to pull the three 24.1 times per game.
>>> While the Muleriders almost look to climb out of the shallow rut they were put in December, both groups have similar numbers overall as each team has a shot in this matchup.

THE FIGHT FOR FIFTH
>>> Currently in the Great American Conference standings, there is a four-way tie for fifth place in the conference with Southwestern Oklahoma State currently in fourth (5-3 GAC) and Oklahoma Baptist sitting at the technical sixth-place (3-5).
>>> Southern Arkansas, Arkansas Tech, Henderson State, and Ouachita Baptist are all holding down the fifth-place spot among the league as each group is currently 4-4 in conference play.
>>> Arkansas Tech defeated Arkansas-Monticello (58-48), Southern Arkansas (95-72), East Central (71-44), and Southeastern Oklahoma State (74-57). The Golden Suns have fallen to Ouachita Baptist (57-63), Henderson State (80-84), Oklahoma Baptist (48-52), and Southern Nazarene (67-71)
>>> The Reddies have defeated Arkansas-Monticello (97-69), Arkansas Tech (84-80), Oklahoma Baptist (74-54), and Southwestern Oklahoma State (78-71). HSU has suffered losses to Southern Arkansas (55-61), Harding (62-80), Southern Nazarene (53-75), and Northwestern Oklahoma State (55-64).
>>> Ouachita Baptist has defeated Arkansas Tech (63-57), Southern Arkansas (72-67 OT), Arkansas-Monticello (81-78), and Oklahoma Baptist (76-39). They have lost to Harding (55-75), Southern Nazarene (59-75), Northwestern Oklahoma State (49-67), and Southwestern Oklahoma State (55-66).

TREMIE FOR THREEEEEE
>>> With Southern Arkansas' recent success comes cause for said "success". Senior Addy Tremie has been a prime reason for the Muleriders success in their past two competitions against Southeastern Oklahoma State and East Central.
>>> In those tow contests, Tremie scored 40 total points with above .500 field goal shooting each game. More importantly, her three-point shot was hitting for both games.
>>> Against the Savage Storm, Tremie made four of her seven attempts from beyond the arc. Against the Tigers, she knocked two of her three shots from the range.
>>> The bayou native had similar success in the two events previous against SWOSU and NWOSU as in each game she accounted for four three-pointers. In the last four games Tremie has knocked down 14 three-pointers, which is the same amount she made over the nine previous games to the educational intermission.
>>> The native of Sulphur, Louisiana has accounted for 33 (3rd GAC) of the Muleriders 107 three-pointers thus far in the campaign. With 33 three pointers over 14 games, the senior is averaging 2.36 three-pointers per game (3rd GAC).
 
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