GAME INFORMATION
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(5) ARKANSAS TECH
WONDER BOYS
16-14 (12-10 GAC) |
(2) SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
MULERIDERS
21-9 (15-7 GAC) |
Sunday, March 5 | 3:30 p.m.
FireLake Arena | Shawnee, Okla.
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO
GAME NOTES
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TIPPING OFF
It all comes down to this. Arkansas Tech and Southern Arkansas for the 2023 Great American Conference Tournament Championship. Forty minutes of basketball, well maybe more based on the last time these two met, to determine who's season lives on amongst the madness of March, and who's magical conference tournament run comes to a bitter end.
Sunday's championship game between Tech and Southern Arkansas will be the third meeting this season. The Muleriders won both matchups during the regular season with a 62-53 win at home in December and an 85-83 double overtime win in Russellville just over a week ago.
In terms of all-time series history, this will be the 188th meeting between Tech and Southern Arkansas in a series that dates back to 1927-28 with the two being conference rivals from the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) days to the present GAC days. Tech leads the series 107-80, but have lost six-straight to SAU.
Talking Tech
The Wonder Boys enters their GAC Tournament Championship game against Southern Arkansas with an overall record of 16-14, assuring that regardless of the outcome, the Wonder Boys will finish with at least a .500 winning percentage for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
This will be the Wonder Boys' fourth appearance all-time in the finals of the GAC Tournament and their first since 2015. In their three previous trips to the finals, the Wonder Boys have won twice with victories in 2012 and 2015.
Statistically, the Wonder Boys average 67.4 ppg to rank 11th in the GAC. On the defensive end of the court, the Wonder Boys rank fourth in the league in scoring defense, giving up an average of 67.4 ppg. In terms of field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense, the Wonder Boys are 11th in the conference in field goal percentage as they shoot at an overall clip of .440 (732-of-1,664) and limit their opponents to a .431 mark (700-of-1,625) to rank third.
From beyond-the-arc, the Wonder Boys shoot at a clip of .290 (183-of-630) to rank 12th in the GAC while their opponents make three-pointers at a mark of .355 (230-of-648) to rank eighth. From the free throw line, the Wonder Boys shoot .644 as a team (375-of-582) to rank 11th.
Individually, the Wonder Boys have one player that is averaging double figures in scoring.
Taelon Peter, recently named a Second Team All-GAC performer, is that player and leads the way at 15.2 ppg. Five other Wonder Boys are scoring at least 7.0 ppg as well.
The Wonder Boys are coached by
Mark Downey, who is in his third season back on the sidelines at Tech after a 10-year hiatus. In his first stint, Downey patrolled the sidelines at Tech for four seasons from 2006-07 - 2009-10. In his final season, Downey guided the Wonder Boys to a program-record 30 wins and during that season, the Wonder Boys were ranked No. 1 in NCAA DII for the first time ever.
In his time at Tech, which is now in its seventh season overall, Downey has amassed a 110-86 record. Overall, Downey is in his 16th season as a head coach and has career record of 276-192.
Scouting the Muleriders
For the second time in program history, Southern Arkansas will play for a GAC Tournament Championship after they outlasted No. 6-seed Henderson State in the semifinal round on Saturday night.
SAU's previous tournament title game appearance came in 2021. The Muleriders would narrowly lose that game, 75-74 to Arkansas-Monticello. Despite the loss, the Muleriders still qualified for a regional tournament.
Statistically, the Muleriders average 77.3 ppg on offense to rank second in the GAC and give up an average of 72.0 ppg to rank fifth in the GAC. Their +5.4 scoring margin ranks fourth in the league. In terms of field goal percentages, SAU shoots at a .453 clip overall (844-of-1,863) to rank eighth in the league and allowed opponents to shoot at a mark of .439 (768-of-1,749) to rank fifth.
From three-point range, the Muleriders shoot at a .357 clip (280-of-785) to rank fifth in the GAC and allowed opponents to shoot .338 (216-of-639) from range to rank fourth. At the charity stripe, the Muleriders shoot .688 (352-of-512) to rank ninth in the GAC.
Individually, the Muleriders have five players scoring in double figures with
Gregory Hammond Jr. leading the way at 12.5 ppg.
LaTreavin Black is next in scoring at 11.4 ppg followed by
Blake Rogers at 10.8 ppg.
Carel Ray Jr. and
Kris Wyche round out double-figure scoring at 10.6 and 10.1 ppg, respectively.
The Muleirders are coached by
Logan Quinn, who is in his first season as head coach at Southern Arkansas. No stranger to Mulerider basketball, however, Quinn assumed the head coaching role at SAU after serving the past three seasons as an assistant coach where he helped the Muleriders make their first-ever NCAA National Tournament in 2020-21.
