ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Big plays on the road lead to big wins on the road. That certainly was the case for Southern Arkansas on Saturday afternoon inside the Duke Wells Center as the Muleriders used a handful of big moments late on both ends of the floor to take a 72-71 win over Henderson State and move into a three-way tie for fourth place in the Great American Conference play. The contest featured 15 lead changes and ten tied scores.

Trailing 69-66, a drive to the stripe by Anthony Igiede was kicked to the corner for a wide open Jaren Harris who netted a game-tying three with just over two minutes remaining. Following a time out, a defensive stop by the Muleriders would lead to a fresh :20 on the offensive end as SAU came down with a defensive board on the end line. HSU responded with the second chance by scoring inside as Tomislav Miholjcic muscled in for a lead-taking bucket at 71-69.

Twenty-two seconds into the Muleriders' next possession, Gregory Hammond Jr. delivered a step back trifecta try, his fourth of the game, for a heavily guarded attempt at the lead which promptly found the bottom of the nylon to give SAU a 72-71 advantage with 59 seconds to play.

A good look at a mid-range jumper by the Reddies on the other end of the floor did not fall, but Southern Arkansas would be unable to increase its advantage after contact just inside the stripe led to a shot clock violation and 15 seconds for HSU.
In his first year on the floor for the Muleriders, Igiede made his biggest play to date as he blocked a Malek Davis jumper to preserve the one-point lead for SAU with 2.5 seconds to play. Following a timeout after a missed free throw, a length-of-the-court pass was not touched to give SAU the possession and the game.

Cedric Garrett led with a game-high 23 points as he accounted for a third of SAU's nine made three-pointers. Hammond followed with 18 points on 50% shooting from three-point range and grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds as he recorded his second double-double of the season. Jessie Davis Jr. continued to delivered quality minutes turning in 10 points, three rebounds and a steal. The Muleriders received eight and seven from Christian Caldwell and four assists apiece from Garrett, Hammond and Harris.

SAU finished +13 in rebounding and made two more shots in one more attempt than the Reddies. The Muleriders led by as much as 11 points in the second half after carrying a seven-point advantage into the intermission. HSU used a 12-0 run from the 16:50 mark to the 13:13 mark to grab a 51-50 lead and set the table for the final dozen minutes that saw either team's lead grow to no more than three points.

Southern Arkansas heads back to Oklahoma for games against Northwestern Oklahoma and Southwestern Oklahoma. SAU is even with SWOSU in the standings at 6-6 and is a single game back of Northwestern Oklahoma State for third place. The Muleriders tip off against the Rangers in Alva on February 1 at 7:30 p.m. and take on the Bulldogs in Weatherford at 1 p.m. on February 3. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.