MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas (8-8 | 3-7 GAC) returns home for a pair of contests inside the W.T. Watson Center where the unit will take on the Arkansas-Monticello (8-8 | 3-7 GAC) for a 5:30 PM tip-off on Thursday and then a 1:00 PM tip-off against Henderson State (6-10 | 4-6 GAC) on Saturday.
 
Series History vs. UAM
The Cotton Blossoms hold a 33-52 lead in the all-time series as the rivals split a season ago with the Muleriders having the last laugh in Magnolia by a final of 76-72. The two first met each other on November 18, 1976, and saw the Blossoms take the initial lead in the series with a 65-75 win.
 
Series History vs. HSU
The Muleriders are facing the Reddies for the second time this season as the two had an absolute thriller in Arkadelphia, Arkansas just before the new year. In that last meeting, Henderson State jumped out to as much as a 22-point advantage, but with a 30-13 fourth quarter by Southern Arkansas, the group fell by just three points on the road. The Reddies hold the lead against SAU at 33-52 as the Muleriders last win against HSU came in Magnolia during the 23-24 season.
 
SAU at a Glance:
The Blue and Gold is coming off an 0-2 weekend in west Oklahoma as they attempted a late comeback against SWOSU (47-55) and played a red-hot NWOSU club that ended in a 59-75 final.
 
Now returning for a four-game stretch at home, the Muleriders look to take advantage of the homestand. Southern Arkansas has shown production while on its home court with a 4-3 record and winning its most recent home clash against East Central (70-58).
 
SAU continues to show flashes of how good they can be, especially late in the game as the team has outscored three of its last four opponents in the final quarter of action (78-55). The lone game that the Muleriders have won in the last four outings was against ECU, which is the only game that the group has not outscored its opponents in the fourth period for the last four games.
 
UAM at a Glance:
As much as the two groups would despise admitting it, the Cotton Blossoms and the Muleriders have both put together similar first halves of the 2024-2025 campaign.

Both teams enter their first contest with each other at 8-8 overall with a 3-7 record in the Great American Conference. The two in-state rivals share the same wins and losses inside the conference as both have defeated Ouachita Baptist, Arkansas Tech, and East Central.

UAM began its season off to a good start as the unit went 4-1 before beginning conference play. The group's lone downfall came to the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith during the Central Region Tip-Off in Wichita, Kansas.

The Blossoms' leading scorer has been Bailey Harris, who is averaging 14.3 points per outing and has accounted for 228 points thus far. Harris sits toward the top six of the league's individuals for her offensive game, as she is ranked 6th for both her total points and ppg. She is also in the top 5 for her field goal percentage (5th | 41.3%), field goal attempts (4th | 218), and field goals (4th | 90).
 
HSU at a Glance:
The reigning Great American Conference Tournament Champions enter Columbia County for a season rematch as the Reddies meet the Muleriders for the second occasion this season after defeating Southern Arkansas in Arkadelphia narrowly and nearly forfeiting a 22-point third-quarter lead.

Before beginning play in the GAC, the Reddies started their season 2-4 after racking up losses to Central Missouri and Missouri Southern in Warrensburg, Missouri. The group then split their next four games, all against Division II squads.

HSU has been impressive on offense with three players averaging 14 points or more as they are being led by Brynlee Huggins with 15.9 ppg.

Huggins is 4th in the GAC for both total points (255) and ppg and is also the conference's leader in minutes per game (34.85). She is also one of the league's top three-point shooters as she leads in three-point attempts (133 | 16th DII), three-pointers per game (2.75 | 21st DII), and three-pointers made (44 | 26th DII). She is third in the GAC for three-point percentage (33.1).
 
Broadcast Details:
You can watch all the action through the Mulerider Athletics Youtube channel or follow the livestats at muleriderathletics.com.
 
 
Next Up:
SAU will remain at home next week as Oklahoma Baptist and Southern Nazarene come to Magnolia, Arkansas on January 30th and February 1st.