MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Fifteen days have passed since Southern Arkansas Men's Basketball has taken to the hardwood, but that changes on Thursday night in Magnolia as the Muleriders play host to Southwestern Oklahoma in advance of a Saturday afternoon tipoff against Northwestern Oklahoma. The action will usher in 18-straight Great American Conference affairs to close out the regular season. SAU tips off on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. in addition to a 3 p.m. start on Saturday. Live coverage links are available at
www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
Southern Arkansas enters the New Year at 4-6 overall with an even 2-2 mark in GAC play. SAU owns Division II wins over Henderson State and Ouachita. It also has victories over non-NCAA opponents Arlington Baptist and Ecclesia. SAU has lost its six games by an average of eight points.
The Muleriders stand at -0.2 in scoring margin, but own a rebounding margin of +6.7. SAU is shooting 42.3% from the floor, but is just under a 30% success rate from deep. Both marks are a single percentage point back of what the Muleriders are allowing the opposition to shoot. At the stripe, the Muleriders are hovering around 70%.
Carel Ray Jr. and
Anthony Igiede are the lone Muleriders to start all ten games for head coach
Logan Quinn this campaign. Ray averages a team-leading 34.7 minutes and 15.9 points per game. Igiede averages 11.5 points per game and leads with nearly a 91% success rate from the stripe. Ray follows at 82% from the line. SAU is hopeful for a healthy
Gregory Hammond Jr. in the second half. In just four starts and five games played, he's averaging 12.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. True freshman
Nevi Tell leads in steals with 14 and assists with 25.
The Muleriders match up against Southwestern Oklahoma for the 26th time since first meeting as league foes in 2012. SAU holds a slim 13-12 overall lead in the tightly played series, is 6-5 against the Bulldogs in Magnolia and has won the previous two matchups. SWOSU ranks at the bottom of the GAC in scoring offense at 64.6 ppg, but owns the league's fourth-best scoring defense at 71.0 ppg, while ranking just behind SAU in opponent field goal percentage (.429) at third in the GAC. Ben Smith averages the fifth-most ppg in the GAC at 16.9, while his 7.4 rebounds rank just behind Ray's league lead.
SAU and Northwestern Oklahoma matchup for the 23rd time in a series that began in 2012 and currently sees the Rangers leading 12-10. The Muleriders are 5-5 against NWOSU at home during that time and are currently riding an overall win streak of three games. The Ranges are one of four GAC teams averaging less than 70 ppg. NWOSU holds opponents to 74.7 ppg. Northwestern Oklahoma holds the second-highest assist-to-turnover ratio in the GAC at 2.10. Brian Free leads the team in scoring at 14.3 ppg and Larry White is the top rebounder with a top 15 mark in the GAC of 5.4. White shoots 51.8% from the floor.
