MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Big blocks and even bigger baskets blanketed Southern Arkansas' stretch run in the second half of Thursday night's Great American Conference matchup with Southern Nazarene. The Muleriders led by a bucket after the opening twenty minutes of action and wound up on the right end of a second half of play that saw 16 of the game's 22 lead changes and six of its 13 ties take place. Five players finished in double figures and SAU shot 50% from the floor for the third-consecutive game in a 78-72 final over the Crimson Storm from inside the W.T. Watson Center. The win aids the Muleriders in keeping pace in the league standings with a 4-5 record overall, while SNU falls to 3-6 against league foes.
 
SAU's 28-of-56 shooting effort from the field matched its output in its win over East Central (25-of-50) and coupled with a 51.7% shooting clip in a loss to Southeastern Oklahoma gave the Muleriders the program's first run of three-straight games at 50% or better from the floor since late February 2016.
 
With the game as tight as it was from the onset, Southern Arkansas managed to set the pace with its solid shooting in addition to taking care of the basketball as the Muleriders committed just nine turnovers; the second-fewest in a game this season.
 
Carel Ray Jr. led SAU with 19 points on eight makes in 14 attempts. He added seven rebounds, an assist and one block. Cedric Garrett followed with 15 points, all from three-point range, three rebounds and an assist. Garrett's five makes from deep are the most by a Mulerider this season. Anthony Igeide trailed with 14 points, which included a perfect 6-for-6 from the stripe, a team-high eight rebounds, one assist, a block and a steal. Gregory Hammond Jr. added 13 points, including a three-point make to opening scoring, three rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. Christian Caldwell rounded out double-digit scorers with 10 points, three boards and a block.
 
Free throws by Caldwell just prior to the eight-minute media timeout of the second half put SAU up 59-57. After SNU tied the game at 59, Nevi Tell scored on a baseline jumper and following an and-one bucket by the Crimson Storm, Tell assisted Caldwell on a thunderous jam to push the Muleriders back out front 63-62 with 6:20 left.
 
The block party began to heat up as Caldwell swatted a shot that would lead to a pair of free throws by Igiede and another one-point SAU lead. Following the charity stripe cash ins, Hammond soared and hammered a SNU shot attempt to set up an inside basket by Caldwell on an assist by the blocker.
 
The first called timeout prompted a media timeout at 4:59 and nearly a half minute later, Igiede knocked down two more freebies to put SAU up five at 69-64. A three-point make from the Crimson Storm brought SNU to within two at 69-67, but Tell drove inside and delivered a body-control bucket to increase the lead to four with 3:53 to go.
 
Igiede blocked a SNU jumper that would have cut it to a single possession and two possessions later, Tell grabbed an offensive board and assisted Ray on a key basket that put the Muleriders up six points at 73-67 with 2:14 remaining. With 90 seconds to play, Ray provided the dagger as a spin-around, step-back jumper along the far baseline fell smoothly to increase the advantage to eight at 75-67 and thirty seconds later, he blocked a SNU shot that forced 11 more seconds off the clock before the Crimson Storm converted the possession.
 
Two more free throws from Igiede and one from Hammond distanced the Muleriders as SAU won over SNU for just the third time at home in the GAC Era.
 
Defensively, SAU's five blocks mark the fifth game this season with five or more swatted shots. SAU was outrebounded (31-33) in large part to its shot-making effort in the victory, but finished +6 in the paint.
 
The Muleriders return to action on Saturday for a 3 p.m. start against Oklahoma Baptist. OBU lost to Arkansas-Monticello on Thursday night. The Bison, the Weevils, the Muleriders and East Central are in a four-way tie for sixth place at 4-5 in GAC play. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.