SEARCY – The Southern Arkansas Muleriders (13-12, 9-10 GAC) and Harding Bisons were involved in a game that saw 16 lead changes, 11 tied scores and the largest lead for either side stand at six points.
When it was over Saturday night, the Bisons came out on top, 67-61.
C.J. Elkins, along with Draylan Perkins, scored 13 points apiece for SAU.
With the loss, the Muleriders moved into a three-way tie for sixth place with Arkansas Tech and Ouachita, but hold the tiebreaker over Arkansas Tech having won the season series against the Wonder Boys.
SAU and Ouachita meet in Arkadelphia in the regular season finale.
SAU is one-game back of UAM for a potential two-way tie for fifth place and just one game up on Henderson State who at the moment sits in ninth and is currently on the outside looking in for the postseason tournament.
Southern Arkansas meets UAM at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Monticello and will host Henderson State in a high stakes affair on Thursday, before closing out the regular season with a trip to Arkadelphia to face Ouachita Baptist on Saturday.
Lady Bisons 63,
Lady Muleriders 54
SEARCY – Despite scoring the game's first points on their initial possession, the SAU Lady Muleriders fell behind early and were unable to overcome the deficit, losing 63-54 to the Lady Bisons on Saturday.
Olivia McWilliams and Remiah Henry scored 13 points each.
It was the 17th game that McWilliams has scored in double figures and the fourth for Henry. Her 13-point effort was the most in a game since she scored a career-high 20 points against Southeastern Oklahoma back in early December.
The Lady Muleriders were out-scored in the paint 32-8 and out-rebounded 50-35.
Seventeen of Harding's rebounds came on the offensive glass and it also out-scored SAU 15-2 on second-chance points.
The Lady Muleriders will also play at UAM Tuesday, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Muleriders win 7-3
on the diamond
Senior Mark Fontenot recorded a pair of extra-base hits, walked twice, had three RBI, and scored a pair of runs to help carry No. 35 SAU to a 7-3 win over Southeastern Oklahoma State Sunday night in GAC play at Goodheart Field.
The Muleriders (5-3, 1-0 GAC) collected six hits and tallied seven runs in the win. Kenneth Tabor picked up the win on the mound and Tanner Vaught got the save.
In his first career save, Vaught tossed four innings out of the bullpen and scattered three hits and a walk, while allowing just two runs, to help the Muleriders claim their second-straight league-opening win and fifth out of the seven GAC seasons.
The two teams are scheduled to complete their GAC series with today's doubleheader that started at noon.
Softball team goes
3-1 in Kansas
EMPORIA, Kan. – The 10th-ranked SAU Lady Mulerider softball team (9-1) split the final day of the 6-State Classic in Emporia, Kan., after a 10-1 run-rule victory in five innings over Concordia St. Paul on Saturday.
SAU lost 4-3 to Emporia State in the first game of the day. The Hornets secure the late walk-off win in the bottom of the seventh.
On Friday, SAU defeated Pittsburg State 11-3 and downed Missouri Southern 6-3.
Brooke Goad had four home runs during the weekend.
On Friday and Saturday, the Lady Muleriders will begin GAC play when they host East Central Oklahoma State in a four-game series.
A doubleheader is set to start at 4 p.m. Friday and at noon on Saturday.