MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas Women's Basketball team is ready to tip off their home slate of games with momentum, entering the week with a 2-0 record. The Muleriders have shown impressive grit and skill in their season-opening weekend in Wichita, Kansas, and now, with home-court advantage, they'll look to build on that early success. As they prepare for their first game in Magnolia, the team's chemistry and defensive intensity have stood out, setting a high bar for the rest of the season. Before they can begin play on their hardwood, the Muleriders must get past Gulf South Conference foe Christian Brothers in Memphis, Tennessee.
 
Christian Brothers (0-2 | 0-0 GSC)
>>> CBU started their 2024-2025 season by falling to two SSC opponents in their GSC-SSC Crossover season-opening tournament. The Lady Buccaneers lost to Lynn 76-62 before dropping 94-64 against Barry.
>>> Layton Westmoreland has joined the coaching staff for CBU's Women's basketball program as an assistant coach for the 2024-2025 season following two seasons at Central Wyoming College where he served as head coach. 
>>> Last time the two teams saw each other was in Memphis, Tennessee last season where the Lady Bucs dropped 101-59. CBU is on a losing streak of 4 games against Southern Arkansas. 
>>> Valencia McFall is the current team leader in points as she averages 14.0 points per game and has scored 28 points so far. Jada Hood has contributed with the second-most points, scoring 22 points over the two season-opening games.
>>> Last time the Lady Bucs earned a victory over the Muleriders was in 2009.
 
Arlington Baptist (0-2)
>>> The Patriots went into the 2024-25 season with a lot of new faces as they only had three returners from last season's team. 
>>> ABU's overall record so far is 0-2 with losses against the University of Science and Arts (Okla.) 41-103, and Paul Quinn College 53-63.
>>> Southern Arkansas cruised past the Patriots in the last meeting between the two teams. Last time the Mulerider Women shot 41.7% from the floor and turned 35 ABU turnovers into 38 points. The Muleriders gathered 25 steals and collected the second-most rebounds in a game with 72 as SAU finished +32 in rebounding. 
>>> The Patriots went 14-7 last season and went as far as to the regional semifinals where they lost 65-71 to Ozark Christian College.
>>> Laila Stewart is leading the team in points with a total of 15 while Sophia Cortez has scored the most three-pointers with a total of 3 made on 6 attempts for a .500 three-point percentage.
 
Early Impressions
>>> Just like last year the Muleriders went undefeated in the Central Region Challenge and started the 2024-25 season on top.
>>> In the season-opening game Southern Arkansas shot 55.2% from the field, including 7-of-11 from three-point range (63.6). The Muleriders showed strong defense with forced turnovers and only allowed Arkansas-Fort Smith 53 points.
>>> Tequaza Chambers led the charge in game one pouring in 21 points, while Marlee Bright nearly notched a double-double with 11 points and 9 assists.
>>> In game two against Newman, the Muleriders relied on a balanced team effort to secure the victory 58-50. Senior Crystal Ortiz stepped up as the offensive leader with 14 points while adding 8 rebounds. Junior Elena Lijo-Rodriguez added 12 points and 7 rebounds to the team.
>>> The first two games have demonstrated the depth of the Muleriders' roster with multiple players stepping up in different ways. The key contributions from various players as well as a strong defense sets a solid foundation for the rest of the season under first-year head coach Darrick Matthews.
 
Muleriders at Home
>>> The Muleriders have played 331 home games during the NCAA era and the game against Arlington Baptist will be the 332nd.
>>> Southern Arkansas has an overall record of 144-187 from games played inside the W.T. Watson Center during its NCAA era.
>>> The team reached its 100th win at home in the NCAA era against East Central on November 17, 2016 with a 54-48 victory.
>>> Last season the Muleriders recorded a 9-6 record at home in Magnolia. They started their season with a win streak of 5 at home, until losing in overtime to Natural State opponent Ouachita Baptist (67-72).
>>> Last season featured several noteworthy home victories for Southern Arkansas. Notably, they won a thrilling game against rival Arkansas-Monticello, finishing 76-72 in the spring. In the fall, they secured a significant 61-55 victory over Henderson State, who would go on to become the conference tournament champions. This win contributed to Southern Arkansas achieving their best season start since their joining in the NCAA, with an impressive record of 6-0.
>>> Head Coach Darrick Matthews aims to increase home game wins in his first year with the Muleriders, starting with Arlington Baptist on Saturday.

Times, locations, and live links to live stats and streaming for both contests can be found on www.MuleriderAthletics.com.