Muleriders used balanced attack to knock off Harding

SEARCY- Southern Arkansas shot 45 percent (25-of-56) from the floor as four players scored in double figures and the Muleriders used another stout defensive performance to move past Harding 72-59 in Great American Conference action on Saturday afternoon from inside Rhodes Reaves Fieldhouse in Searcy. The win, SAU's third-consecutive over the Bisons, sends the team's overall record to 6-9 with a 4-6 mark in league play.

Sophomore combo Jalen Brooks led all scorers with 17 points in a game-high 36 minutes on the floor. His six rebounds were one off freshman forward Jessie Davis Jr.'s team-high seven. The Muleriders outrebounded the Bisons 39-32 with 11 boards coming on the offensive glass. Junior guard Aaron Lucas followed with 14 points, three assists and two steals and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. Junior forward Devante Brooks added 11 points and three rebounds in just 21 minutes, while junior Dru Smith recorded a Mulerider career-best 10 points.

In the first half, the Muleriders shot 50 percent (16-of-32) from the floor as well as 50 percent (5-of-10) from threepoint range. SAU controlled scoring inside as they recorded 22 paint points to just eight points inside for the Bisons in the game's first 20 minutes. Southern Arkansas' perimeter defense, one of the GAC's best, continued to hold up as if forced the host into a 25 percent success rate from beyond the arc before the intermission.

SAU cooled off slightly from range in the second half making just two of their eight attempts, but the Muleriders went 13-of18 from the line in the final twenty minutes of play after only attempting three free throws in the first half.

Defensively, the stingy perimeter defense employed by the Muleriders carried over into the second half as Harding made just one of its eight attempts from three-point range. Harding finished at 20 percent (4-of-20) from threepoint range. SAU used 17 Harding turnovers for 21 points with 16 of those points coming off of 13 first half turnovers.

The 45% percent shooting effort is the second-best clip for SAU against a GAC opponent and third-best team shooting performance this season. The Muleriders finished 15-of-21 from the free throw line. That 71.4 percent success rate is the fourth-best effort this season. team

After losing their first four games of the New Year, the Riders have won their past two games.