Career-best performances from guard Coriah Beck and center Maya Peat powered the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women’s basketball team to a dominant road win Sunday afternoon.
UAPB defeated McNeese State 103-87 in Lake Charles, La., in the Lady Lions’ final non-conference game of the season.
Beck led all scorers with 32 points after shooting 8 of 11 from 3-point range. Peat added 22 points and 12 rebounds. Neither player, both seniors, had scored more than 19 points in a game prior to Sunday.
Zaay Green contributed 18 points and nine assists. Demetria Shephard scored 14 points, while Jelissa Reese finished with 12.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The Cowgirls were led by Emilia Tenbrock with 24 points. Mireia Yespes scored 17 points with 11 rebounds.
UAPB (5-8) never trailed, opening the game on a 7-0 run and eventually leading 34-12 after the first quarter. UAPB led 59-37 at halftime after an evenly played, high-scoring second quarter, then pulled away to lead by as much as 90-58 with 7:04 remaining in the fourth quarter.
McNeese (4-9) made the final score a bit more respectable with a 32-point fourth quarter, but the Cowgirls nonetheless finished non-conference play winless against Division I competition. This was UAPB’s third Division I road win this season.
Shephard got UAPB to 101 points with a layup with 2:03 to play. This marked UAPB’s third triple-digit game this season, but also its first against a Division I foe and its first on the road. McNeese had allowed 100 or more points three times prior to Sunday, but all were against ranked Power Five opponents, namely No. 14 Baylor, No. 13 Kansas State and No. 7 LSU. All three were away from home.