MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Head Coach Darrick Matthews and his Muleriders (8-6 | 4-4 GAC) are set for action back inside the W.T. Watson Center on Thursday and Saturday after not playing in Magnolia for 26 days, ever since before the holiday intermission. Southern Arkansas preps for its weekend matchups against Great American Conference opponents Southwestern Oklahoma State (5-8 | 3-5 GAC) and 19^th-ranked Northwestern Oklahoma State (12-2 | 7-1 GAC).
 
Series History vs SWOSU
SAU vs. SWOSU | 1/13 (5:30 p.m.)
28th meeting, SWOSU leads 23-4
First meeting: 12/10/1997 – SWOSU wins 74-57 (Magnolia, Ark.)
Last meeting: 2/23/2025 – SWOSU wins 64-56 (Magnolia, Ark.)
 
Series History vs NWOSU
SAU vs. NWOSU | 1/17 (1:00 p.m.)
26th meeting, NWOSU leads 13-12
First meeting: 3/9/1977 – SAU wins 91-74 (Hammond, La.)
Last meeting: 2/21/2025 – NWOSU wins 72-67
 
Broadcast Information
Thursday and Saturday's games will be broadcast on the Southern Arkansas University Hudl Fan page and on 99.1 KVMZ with Dan Gregory calling all the action.
 
SAU Notables
>>> Southern Arkansas looks to recover in a big way this weekend, as the Muleriders are currently on a three-game losing streak to start 2026. The Blue and Gold aims to get back to its pre-Christmas ways, in which the unit was rolling on a four-game winning streak. As of now, the Muleriders are tied for sixth in the Great American Conference.
 
>>> Leading Southern Arkansas in scoring remains Blythe Crawley, as the freshman has tallied 190 points accounted for and an average of 13.6 points per game. Crawley also leads the Muleriders for made threes, cashing in 30 of her 87 attempts (34.5%). Leading the unit in three-point percentage, with at least 20 attempts, is Hope Bump. The fellow freshman has made 19 of her 48 attempts from beyond the arc this season (39.6%).
 
>>> On the boards, the squad is still being led by Elena Lijo-Rodriguez, as the Spaniard nears the century mark for rebounds this season with her 97 rebounds, averaging 6.9 per game. Staying around the boards, Lijo-Rodriguez also leads the squad in blocks with 23, which brings her career total at Southern Arkansas to 77, tying the program record for career blocked shots.
 
>>> The top orchestrator of the offense has been senior Marlee Bright with 52 assists, while the Glenwood, Arkansas native also leads the group in steals with 44.
 
SWOSU Notables
>>> Atop the Bulldogs' scoring leaderboard, SWOSU is led by Sincere Jackson with 181 points, averaging 13.9 points per game. Jackson from the field this season has been impressive, shooting 72-for-150 (48%).
 
>>> Jackson not only leads the Bulldogs in scoring, but she has also accounted for the most rebounds on the unit with 87, averaging 6.7 per game over 13 contests. Right behind her are Elle Papahronis with 85 in 10 games (8.5 rpg) and Landry Allen with 80 boards in 11 games (7.3 rpg).
 
>>> Allen's most impressive feat has not been her recovery of the rock from the board, but her ability to subdue shooters' attempts with her 45 blocks (4.09 bpg), which ranks first in the Great American Conference and fourth in NCAA DII. With Allen's assistance, the Bulldogs lead the GAC in blocks per game and rank 22^nd in DII with their 4.6 blocks per game.
 
NWOSU Notables
>>> The Rangers have been one of, if not the, best teams in the league, as NWOSU is 7-1 in the GAC, with their only loss coming against Ouachita Baptist (68-64). Most recently, the group dominantly defeated the Henderson State Reddies, 68-47.
 
>>> Northwestern Oklahoma State leads the GAC in many statistical categories so far, eight to be exact, with those being assist/turnover ratio (1.04 | 30^th DII), assists per game (15.5
 37^th DII), defensive field goal percentage (33.9% | 9^th DII), rebound margin (13.4 | 5^th DII), offensive rebounds per game (15.9 | 22^nd DII), rebounds per game (41.93 | 34^th DII), scoring defense (53.5% | 13^th DII), and scoring margin (20.0 | 10^th DII).
 
>>> The Rangers house the second-best scorer in the Great American Conference in Kira Bass. Bass has accounted for 267 points this year, averaging 19.1 points per game and recording a 52.0% field-goal percentage, making 105-for-202.
 
>>> Bass also leads the Rangers in boards with 127 rebounds, averaging 9.1 per game, 24 steals, and 19 blocks.
 
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