Northwestern will open the 2023 year at home against Southern Arkansas on Thursday evening with tip-off set for 7:30 PM following the Lady Rangers game. Northwestern will enter Thursday’s game with a 4-4 record overall and a 0-4 Great American Conference record. The Muleriders enter with a 7-3 record overall and a 3-1 conference record.
This will be the 21st meeting between the two schools since 2012 with the series in favor of the Rangers 12-8. In the last 10 games the Rangers lead 6-4 after the Muleriders took the season series 2-1.
Northwestern is set to start the New Year with this being their first game since before the break on December 17th. The Rangers split that week going 1-1 with a win over Cameron University (74-66) and a loss to Southeastern Oklahoma State (106-91). Malik Parsons led the team with 30 points 6 assists and 4 rebounds. Brian Free and Shavaul Butters each scored double figures with 19 and 11 points.
For the season Northwestern has three players averaging at least double figures led by Parsons with 21.8 points a game followed by Brian Free and Larry White with 13.3 and 10.9. Free leads the Rangers with 26 three pointers on the season with Parsons having the best percentage at 45.9 from behind the arc. The Rangers have three players with 20+ assists in Parsons at 29 followed by Free with 21 and Kenney Milton with 21.
On the defensive side of the court Shavaul Butters leads the Rangers with 15 blocks on the season followed by Larry White with 13. White also adds 12 steals which is second on the Rangers behind Parsons with 14. Butters leads the team with 7.9 rebounds per game with Parson close at 5.9 boards.
Southern Arkansas:
The Muleriders enter Thursday evening coming off four consecutive wins before the break including three of conference opponents. Like the Rangers this will be Southern Arkansas’ first game after the break.
Southern Arkansas has been led by Blake Rogers scoring 12.5 points per game as one of three players in double figures. LaTreavin Black (10.8) and Gregory Hammond (10.4) are the Mulerideres other two scorers. Jerry Carraway leads the team with 31 assists on the season coming off the bench in each of their 10 games. Brock Schreiner is second with 29.
Defensively, Black leads the team with 16 steals on the season followed by Schreiner with 12. Hammond leads the team with eight blocks on the year. Black has been the team’s leading rebounder with 7.0 on the season.
History:
This is the first meeting between the two programs with the Rangers winning three of the last five. Southern Arkansas won the 2021-2022 season series 2-1 over the Rangers following a 72-63 victory at the FireLake Arena. The two teams split the regular season meeting winning on their own home floor as Northwestern won 71-66 in Alva.
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