RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech women's basketball team improved to 5-0 on the season as they easily eclipsed the century mark and beat visiting Southern Arkansas by a score of 115-94 on Thursday night inside Tucker Coliseum.
 
The high-scoring affair between the Golden Suns (5-0, 4-0 GAC) and Lady Muleriders (1-2, 1-2 GAC) saw the two teams total 209 points. That combined point total is the second-highest in Great American Conference history, and just the fourth to exceed 200 points. For the Golden Suns, the 115 points they put up is tied for the fourth-most points in a game in program history.
 
Additionally, the subsequent 5-0 start from the win over the Lady Muleriders is the best beginning to a season for the Golden Suns since the 2014-15 campaign. That year, the Golden Suns went 23-7 and advanced to the NCAA Central Region Tournament as an at-large team.
 
As you might expect with a point total that the Golden Suns ended with, the statistics yielded from the game resemble those of a video game.
 
As a team, the Golden Suns shot 57% overall making 48-of-84 field goals from the floor. From beyond the arc, the Golden Suns were an efficient 6-of-15 (40%) and from the charity stripe they were 72% (13-of-18). With a majority of the shots taken inside the arc, the Golden Suns racked up points in the paint to the tune of 72.
 
In terms of individual numbers, the stat lines of several Golden Suns were filled to the brim.
 
A total of six players scored in double figures including all five of their starters. Ashlei Lopez led the way in scoring with 23 points. A point off Lopez was Jalei Oglesby as she scored 22 points off the bench. Hannah Villines was next with a 20-point effort. Kaley Shipman bettered her season average and scored 19 points. Bianca Blades more than doubled her previous career-high in scoring and poured in 16 points. Jayana Sanders rounded out double-figure scoring for the Golden Suns with 10 points.
 
In addition to their scoring efforts, three Golden Suns notched double-doubles in the game. Blades and Villines each did it in a more traditional way through rebounding. Blades pulled down 13 rebounds to go with her 16 points while Villines hauled in 10 boards to go with her 20 points. Lopez was the third double-double of the game for the Golden Suns and she did so by way of the assist as she dished out 10 assists to compliment her 23 points.
 
The Golden Suns will now play again next Thursday at Henderson State as their scheduled game this coming Saturday at Ouachita was canceled due to COVID-19. Tip-off for the game at Henderson State is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in Arkadelphia.