ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – All the way to the end… that is the mindset needed to succeed in this league and beyond. No matter your lead, or how much you're down, keep fighting to the final buzzer. That is exactly what the Mulerider Men displayed in Bill Vining Arena on Thursday night in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Southern Arkansas claimed its first win against a Great American Conference opponent in an offensive shootout with Ouachita Baptist. The Blue and Gold's first GAC victory came after a red-hot first half, a back-and-forth second half that tied the game and sent the contest into overtime. The Tigers had multiple opportunities in which they could have sealed off triumph from the Muleriders, but the Blue and Gold refused to surrender and came back from a couple of four-point deficits to win the outing with a
Kris Cook step-back buzzer-beater down two.
The intense matchup between in-state foes saw a final of 95-94, the Muleriders' highest-scoring win against a GAC opponent since the 2024-15 season when Southern Arkansas defeated Arkansas-Monticello 105-85. The point total from Thursday night's battle was the third-most points scored with a Mulerider win against a GAC opponent after the two squads combined for 189 points. It was also the first overtime match that SAU claimed victory in since February 25, 2023, against Arkansas Tech (85-83 (2OT)).
The overtime was about as intense as it could have gotten. Ouachita looked to have had full control of the "third period" as the group quickly jumped to a three-point lead after a couple of free throws and a cash-in from three-point range following a made jumper by Cook for SAU. Soon after a rebound turned drawn foul by
Christian Caldwell, the senior went to the line for two shots and made 1-2 for the trip. Not long after the Tigers tacked on a layup to go up four (85-89). It seemed that neither team could stop the other as Southern Arkansas countered with another jumper for two (87-89), but was followed by a jumper by OUA (87-91). Caldwell got another chance at the charity stripe and did not let this opportunity slip through his fingers as the Nacogdoches, Louisiana native sank both (89-91). Both teams recorded stops against the other until the Tigers received a trip to the line and made 1-2 (89-92) with just 49 seconds left… which was soon followed by a three-point snipe by
BJ Davis from the logo to tie the contest at 92. After holding the ball for some time, OUA eventually made an improbable jumper by Shaun Williams, who accounted for 32 points and led the game in scoring after three-time GAC Player of the Week Hobert Grayson exited the game with fouls. The Muleriders drove down the court with about 20 seconds remaining.
Carel Ray Jr. missed a three which Caldwell then attempted a tip-in, but missed and acquired the rebound followed by a timeout by Coach Rutledge with five seconds to go.
With
BJ Davis inbounding the ball, everyone could have guessed that Coach Rutledge was aiming for something in the paint, but the Nashville, Tennessee native passed it to Cook who took the ball beyond the arc for a step-back three splashing the bucket with just 1.8 seconds to go. Ouachita attempted the half-court shot but came up short. With the result of the outing, the Muleriders moved to 4-5 overall and 1-2 conference while the Tigers dropped their fourth-consecutive contest and fell to 0-3 in league play.
It is difficult to pick one person to highlight after a team performance such as this. Three though, that is a bit easier. Caldwell led the group in scoring with his dominating play in the paint shooting 9-14 from the field and drawing enough fouls for 17 attempts from the charity stripe, making 11 of them for a 29-point contest. The senior also led the Muleriders in rebounds with 12 and accounted for his third double-double with the Muleriders and his second against a Division II foe (1/13/24 at East Central).
Davis was right with Caldwell as the senior logged a 28-point outing after he made 10-15 from the field with five of those coming from three-point range (5-8). The Music City descendant also added on three free throws with his four attempted shots.
He was third in scoring for the team, but nobody can deny his involvement with this battle as
Kris Cook, the Los Angeles, California native, made what was arguably the most important three of the game and, so far, the season. Cook recorded 16 points, his third-straight double-digit scoring effort. From the field, Cook made 6-9 and made 3-5 from beyond the arc.
Southern Arkansas makes its final appearance inside the W.T. Watson Center before the new year as Mulerider Hoops faces Arkansas Tech at 3:00 PM on Saturday (Dec. 14).
