MAGNOLIA, Ark. – As the Great American Conference Tournament approaches, the Mulerider's will be fighting to secure their spot into the dance in head coach Mark Rutledge's first year at the helm.
 
The Southern Arkansas University Muleriders (12-14, 9-11) are preparing for a battle with the Ouachita Baptist University Tigers (19-7, 14-6) and the Arkansas Tech University Wonder Boys (10-16, 7-13) with a chance to play their way into the end of season tournament.
 
Thursday night's contest marks the final outing inside the W.T. Watson Center for five Mulerider Men as Carel Ray Jr., Christian Caldwell, BJ Davis, Jaren Harris, and Marcus Rogers will all be honored during their senior night ceremony prior to the 7:30 PM tip.
 
Series History vs. Ouachita Baptist
Ouachita currently holds a 56-54 all-time series lead over the Muleriders. The Blue and Gold won the first meeting between the two teams earlier this season, a 95-94 victory in Arkadelphia. Despite their losing record in the series, SAU is currently riding a five-game winning streak against the Tigers.
 
Series History vs. Arkansas Tech
The Wonder Boys of Arkansas Tech currently hold a 65-50 overall record against the Muleriders. ATU took the first meeting this season with a 64-59 win in Magnolia. The Muleriders will look for revenge on the road in Russellville for the final game of the regular season and a chance to play their way into the tournament.
 
A Look at SAU
The Muleriders are coming off of a 1-1 week which saw a win over Northwestern Oklahoma State and a loss to Southwestern Oklahoma State.  In the Muleriders' win over NWOSU, the offense and defense were firing on all cylinders as four Muleriders finished with double-digit scoring performances. Christian Caldwell (16), Anthony Igiede (15), Carel Ray Jr. (15), and BJ Davis (12) all finished with double-digit scoring performances. The SAU defense was also able to hold Max Alexander, the Rangers' second-leading scorer, to just four points while not allowing any other player to score more than nine points besides Cameron McDowell's 25-point performance. Against SWOSU, the Muleriders struggled against a stout Bulldogs defense as Christian Caldwell (16) and Anthony Igiede (11) were the only two Muleriders to finish scoring double digits.
 
With a spot in the GAC tournament on the line this weekend, the Muleriders will need to win at least one of their next two matchups to secure their spot in the tournament.
 
BJ Davis continues to be an offensive weapon for the Muleriders scoring 326 total points this season and averaging 12.5 points per game. Anthony Igiede has also gotten hot as of late and is the second-leading scorer with 294 total points while averaging 11.3 points per game. Christian Caldwell and Anthony Igiede are currently tied for the team lead in rebounds with 141 each as both are also averaging 5.4 rebounds per game.
 
A Look at Ouachita
The Tigers are currently riding a five-game winning streak and have put themselves in contention to be the number-one seed in the GAC tournament with Southern Nazarene's recent woes. Ouachita recently defeated SNU in Arkadelphia by a final score of 76-70 and Oklahoma Baptist by a final score of 85-80 also in Arkadelphia this past weekend.
 
Hobert Grayson is the leading scorer for the Tigers with 580 total points and is averaging 22.3 points per game. Hobert is currently second in the GAC (12th nationally) with his 580 total points and second in the GAC (14th nationally) with his 22.3 points per game. Hobert is also the leading rebounder for the Tigers with 295 total rebounds (1st GAC) (5th nationally) and averages 11.3 rebounds per game (1st GAC) (6th nationally).
 
A Look at Arkansas Tech
The Wonder Boys are coming off a 1-1 weekend as they snapped a six-game losing streak with a 70-47 win over East Central on Sunday. Much like the Muleriders, the Wonder Boys are looking to play their way into the GAC tournament with a couple of late wins and some help to snag the eighth spot in this year's tournament.
 
Cassius Brooks is the leading scorer for Arkansas Tech with 489 total points and is averaging 18.8 points per game. Seybian Sims provides more offensive production for the Wonder Boys with 242 total points scored and averages 9.3 points per game. Sims also leads the team in rebounds with 196 total rebounds and averages 7.5 rebounds per game.
 
Broadcast Information
Thursday's home game will be live-streamed on the Mulerider Athletics YouTube page. You can also follow the action with live stats and live stream for the final game of the regular season in Russellville on the Mulerider athletics website.