MAGNOLIA, Ark. — It has been nearly a year and half since the Muleriders have defeated Henderson State, and Head Coach Darrick Matthews has been searching for his first victory over the Reddies in his career at Southern Arkansas University. After a 64-61 final score inside the W.T. Watson Center, that sentence is no longer correct as Coach Matthews and his Muleriders (7-3 | 3-1 GAC) have taken down the Henderson State Reddies (7-2 | 3-2 GAC), and handed the group from Arkadelphia their second loss of the season. 

SAU now jumps the Reddies in the Great American Conference standings, as the Muleriders are tied for second with Ouachita Baptist (6-2 | 3-1 GAC) prior to the two groups' matchup on Saturday for outright second place in the league before Christmas. 

Four Muleriders accounted for double-digit night, as the group was led in scoring by Blythe Crawley with 17 points (8-for-24). While she did not lead SAU in scoring, Elena Lijo-Rodriguez was second on the team with 14 points, while also recording 11 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Also scoring in the double-digits was Marlee Bright and Kadia Ward (KD), as both tallied 10 points. Bright recorded her first double-digit affair of the campaign, but was also responsible for leading the team in assists (4) and steals (7 | season-high). Even though she did not account for double figures in points, having an impressive night off of the glass was Shiloh Fletcher with her eight rebounds. 

The Reddies put the pressure on SAU early, and what looked to be often, as the group started the game off with a three-pointer just 20 seconds in, and then followed with another three ball for the 6-0 lead just a minute and a half into it. The Muleriders did not surrender have the Reddies hot start, as KD Ward responded with a shot made beyond the arc to cut the deficit in half, 6-3. The two groups went a little back and forth for the next couple of minutes, with the Reddies up 12-7. The Muleriders flipped the script on HSU quickly with a dominating 13-2 run to close out the first period, up 20-14. 

The script was only flipped for so long however, with SAU going up ten quickly in the second with a layup from Johnna Brockman and a jumper by Crawley, 24-14. Soon after, Henderson State responded with a stretch of its own, outscoring Southern Arkansas 15-2 to go up 29-26. While the Reddies added five more points, the Muleriders were still able to account for a few more points, down 34-30 at the break. 

Coming out of the break, both groups accounted for made baskets, 36-32, before the two units found themselves in a defensive struggle from 9:14 left on the clock in the third to 6:19 on the clock, with Henderson State finally breaking the scoring silence with a tip-in layup, 38-32. The Reddies seemed to have gained control over the Muleriders while on the road, as the unit added on another three ball, to go up 41-32. Even after a Crawley made jumper for two, the Reddies responded with an and-one layup to go up 10, 44-34. The Muleriders then began to claw their way back into the match, getting back within four points, 44-40, before the Reddies were able to score again. For the remainder of the period, Henderson State kept trying to shoo the Muleriders away, but Matthews' battle-tested squad would not yield, down just 48-45 heading into the final quarter of action. 

Immediately in the fourth period, Lijo-Rodriguez recorded a jumper in the paint, 48-47, but was followed up a minute late by a Reddies' layup, 50-47. The two groups got back in a back-and-forth battle, with the Blue and Gold just on the cusp of tying the score. With 2:38 to go, SAU had finally tied the outing up at 59-59, and then took its first lead just a minute later after KD drained a three ball to go up three, 62-59, for the Muleriders first lead since 3:55 to go in the second. With just under a minute left in the contest, the Reddies recorded a layup, but that would end up being the last points scored for Henderson State before a dagger of a jumper was made by Lijo-Rodriguez off of a skirmish for the ball. 

Up Next:

The Muleriders are still home for the holidays on Saturday, as the group looks to tie a bow on top of 2025 with Ouachita Baptist coming into the W.T. Watson Center for a battle for the outright second-place spot in the conference heading into 2026. Tip-off for that game is set for 1:00 PM. 

Follow the Muleriders

For all the lates information on Mulerider Athletics, visit www.MuleriderAthletics.com. To stay up-to-date, follow the Muleriders on X, Instagram, and Facebook.