MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Junior Qua Chambers delivered 21 points, Southern Arkansas engineered a game-shifting rally in the second quarter and used several big buckets down the stretch to outlast a spirited Arkansas-Monticello squad for a 76-72 Great American Conference win on Rivalry Thursday inside a lively W.T. Watson Center. The victory moves SAU to 7-10 in league play and into a three-way tie for sixth. UAM drops to 3-14 in conference action and into a tie for 11^th place.
 
Chambers' scoring output came behind an efficient 10-for-13 shooting effort and included a pair of big buckets late in the contest as a drive inside resulted in a go-ahead basket for a 73-72 lead just a handful of seconds after UAM's Bailey Harris delivered a lead-changing layup as part of a 19-point performance. Moments later, Chambers scored inside with SAU leading by just one to create the tiniest of distance that grew to two possessions with a free throw by Zykeria Anderson with less than ten seconds remaining. 
 
The Blossoms carried a ten-point advantage at 24-14 after the opening ten minutes as seven UAM players combined for the two dozen points. SAU missed all five of its three-point attempts in the early going and made just two of its 12 for the half, while missing all six in the final twenty minutes of play. However, the Muleriders got it done inside outscoring the Blossoms in the paint 52-38.
 
UAM ran with the first quarter momentum in the second ten as an 11-4 run padded the Blossoms' lead at 35-18 over the quarter's first three and a half minutes of play. 
 
The Muleriders answered and answered in a major way as a furious rally over the remaining 6:34 of the first half changed the trajectory of the contest. Qua Chambers led with seven points during the run which saw Southern Arkansas shoot 9-for-14 from the floor and use three-point buckets by Addy Tremie and Chloe Wilbanks to close the deficit to a single point at 41-40 heading into the intermission. 
 
Chambers was impressive in the first half scoring 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting to lead the Muleriders. 
 
Momentum from the second quarter run aide Southern Arkansas in the third quarter as the Muleriders outscored UAM 19-16 to take a 59-57 lead into the final ten minutes of play. In the third, SAU trailed 48-43 but used a 16-8 run on 50% shooting from the floor that covered 7:47 and saw five players get in on the second half scoring act. 
 
Diamond Morris managed to get a contacted attempt to fall and then followed with another inside basket as SAU overtook the Blossoms 52-51. A cutting Marlee Bright cashed in at the stripe for an old fashioned three-point play to increase the run and the lead to 55-51 moments before Kelsie Hawkins kept the cushion comfortable with a high floater off glass to make it 57-53 with 1:02 to play. 
 
UAM responded with a trio of key baskets, two before the quarter end in the final 25 seconds and one to start the fourth as a mini 6-0 run tied the game at 59 early in the final ten minutes of action. Hawkins answered with a layup on an assist from Morris to push SAU back out front at 61-59.
 
Down the stretch, tough contact buckets by Jessica Clemons and Anderson, key free throws from Chloe Wilbanks and a wraparound bucket underneath by Morris aided SAU's efforts in holding off UAM late. 
 
Wilbanks followed with 13 points and Morris added ten. Southern Arkansas collected 18 steals and delivered 31 points off of turnovers. Anderson grabbed five and Morris and Bright each chipped in with three. Clemons led SAU with eight rebounds, including five on the offensive glass. Southern Arkansas shot 48% from the floor overall and on shots inside the perimeter, the Muleriders shot 64.2%.
 
SAU faces No. 6/4 Harding on Saturday in a 3 p.m. tipoff from inside the W.T. Watson Center. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.