SHAWNEE, Okla. – With a chance at a trip back to the FireLake Arena for the Great American Conference Tournament on the line, the Southern Arkansas University Muleriders traveled towards Central Oklahoma where they faced the Oklahoma Baptist Bison on Thursday night. SAU and OBU, prior to last night were tied in the conference at 7-11 within the GAC standings. With significant shooting from beyond the arc early in the contest, the Muleriders prevailed in their rematch against the Bison as they improved to 13-12 overall and 8-11 within the conference due to a 60-51 victory in Shawnee.
 
Ouachita Baptist sat at 7-11 within league play as well until they were met with their 12-conference defeat last night by the hands of Southeastern Oklahoma State. With the events that took place on Thursday night, Southern Arkansas now controls their own destiny and sits at 7^th place in the GAC.
 
Recording a career-high while at Southern Arkansas University last night was senior Addy Tremie as she tallied 24 points against the Bison for her third 20-point ballgame in the last four contests.
 
Tremie set the tone early for the Muleriders as she released her first three-pointer as the first shot recorded from the field. With under six minutes left in the second period, the Sulphur, Louisiana native applied more pressure to OBU with her second three-pointer to put SAU up by ten. Then in quick sequence, now reaching the two-minute mark, Tremie put up another shot from downtown to keep Southern Arkansas ahead by ten. Then with just under two minutes left in the half and following a made layup by Diamond Morris, the senior knocked down her fourth shot from behind the arc off of the Tequaza Chambers steal to extend the advantage to 15. The lead held nearly to the end of the half, but was cut to 13 after a made layup by OBU. Tremie was not done from three quite yet as the clock reached the five-minute mark in the third and the senior pulled up once more from deep for her fifth shot made from deep-range.
 
The Sulphur, Louisiana native 24 points came off of 1-2 from the charity stripe, 9-16 from the field, and 5-5 from beyond the arc. Tremie's 24-point night led the Muleriders to victory for the thirteenth time this season.
 
Chambers was the second-highest leading scorer for SAU as she accounted for ten points and accounting her second double-digit game in the last four. For the junior to earn her final tow points of the night, Chambers stepped up to the charity stripe where she knocked down both of her freebies to give the Muleriders the final nine-point lead.
 
Southern Arkansas' triumph came from a significant first half where the Muleriders outscored the Bison 35 to 22 due to the second period where SAU overpowered Oklahoma Baptist 19-8. The Bison came out from the intermission looking to score much more than just eight points and did just that as they accounted for 21. Southern Arkansas however, was not phased by the predicament due to the Mulerider offense not letting off the gas in the third by adding 16 points to their score. Southern Arkansas did not make a shot in the final quarter of play, but was able to complete the road win by making their foul shots count as they saw 12 chances for a free-point and made nine of them. SAU made 14 of their 20 total free throw attempts for the game to have recorded 70% made from the charity stripe. The Muleriders were able to fend off the Bison in the fourth as Oklahoma Baptist made just two of their 14 attempts from the field (14.29%) and were kept at bay for the remainder of the evening.
 
Southern Arkansas now sits in seventh, but has not completed the job just yet. The Muleriders now travel west through Oklahoma City where they will matchup with the No. 9/7 Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm to keep their hopes of a second-consecutive GAC Tournament appearance alive prior to the final week of the regular season. For more on Mulerider Women's Basketball, check out www.MuleriderAthletics.com