BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – Southern Arkansas’ CJ Elkins cut through two Southwestern Oklahoma State defenders and scored a layup with 9.0 seconds remaining to lift the Muleriders to a thrilling 83-82 victory in Thursday’s fourth quarterfinal from Bruin Fieldhouse.
 
The Muleriders (17-12) trailed by as many as 18 points midway through the first half, but clawed their way back to close the margin to 52-42 at the intermission. Southern Arkansas opened up on a 20-3 run early in the second half to build a five-point advantage. The Bulldogs (17-12) rallied late and the lead changed four times before Elkins hit the game-winning basket.

 
The Mulerider frontcourt duo of Elkins and Deon Andrews carried the offense, as Andrews finished the day with a game-high 21 points, while shooting 8-of-11 from the floor and he connected on 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, while Elkins, the GAC Freshman of the Year, finished with 10 points and added game-high four assists.
 
Emeche Wells scored a game-high 18 points to lead the Bulldogs. Collin Jennings also added 16 points. Martell Collins, a First-Team All-GAC selection added 11 points and seven rebounds.
 
Southern Arkansas will take on Harding in Saturday’s second men’s semifinal, set for 2:15 pm on GACSportsNetwork.com. Southern Arkansas fell short in both regular-season meetings, an 82-67 loss in Magnolia, Arkansas on January 25 and an 89-83 loss in Searcy on February 18.