Tweet #theGAC  BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – Southern Arkansas never trailed its Great American Conference Women’s Basketball Championship quarterfinal contest with Henderson State, and cruised to an 80-71 victory on Friday from Bruin Fieldhouse.
 
The Lady Muleriders (19-8) opened the game on an 18-3 run and maintained a double-digit advantage into halftime, 45-34. Early in the third quarter, the lead extended to 18, at 52-34, before the Reddies (14-15) began to chip away at the lead. They drew to within seven over the next quarter of actions, but a jumper from SAU’s Jaida Harden and a 3-pointer from Tierra Tucker     thwarted the comeback bid.
 
SAU’s duo of Rosa Bryant, the school’s first-ever First-Team All-GAC selection and Tucker led the way in the victory. Bryant finished with 19 points and a game-high 17 boards, while Tucker nearly accumulated a triple double as she scored 21 points, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out eight assists.
 
With the victory, the Lady Muleriders recorded their first GAC Basketball Championship game win, their first postseason win overall in nine years and just their third since the program moved to Division II. The 19th win on the season also established a program record in the DII era. The 2004-05 held the standard with an 18-11 mark.
 
Haleigh Henson paced the Reddies with a game-high 22 points, including five 3-point field goals. All-GAC Honorable Mention honoree Victoria Stewart pitched in 18 points, while First-Team All-GAC Dulincia Keener added a team-high 13 rebounds.
 
Southern Arkansas will play Arkansas Tech in Saturday’s second women’s semifinal, set for 8:00 PM on GACSportsNetwork.com with the Lady Muleriders in search of their first-ever appearance in a Division II conference tournament title game. Southern Arkansas fell to Arkansas Tech in both regular season meetings this year. The Lady Muleriders fell 91-73 in Russellville on January 16 and 77-68 at home on February 13.