After making the go-ahead shot late in the first half Monday night, Alabama A&M junior guard AC Bryant screamed, “I’m here!”
Bryant had indeed arrived, and he led the Bulldogs to a 75-61 win against the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff at H.O. Clemmons Arena.
UAPB coach Solomon Bozeman said Bryant is among the SWAC’s best this year, something he showed Monday night.
“Took his game to another level from last year,” Bozeman said. “He was a guy that came off the bench, and he been one of the better players in this league. So, he was really tough to stop.”
Bryant scored 31 points on 13 of 17 shooting, including making 4 of 5 from 3-point range. He also collected six rebounds and four steals for the Bulldogs. He had 13 points at halftime but scored 14 in the first 7 minutes of the second half.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
He has only scored more points in a game once this season, a 39-point outing against Jackson State on Jan. 13.
UAPB junior guard Doctor Bradley said Bryant’s aggressiveness made him tough to guard.
“He was a relentless driver,” Bradley said. “He was making his shots, rebounding. He’s a great player, for sure.”
Bryant’s hot start to the second half helped Alabama A&M (9-17, 5-8) pull away. The Bulldogs had led 29-24 after a first half which featured six lead changes and six ties, but Bryant’s hot 7-minute stretch led a 22-4 AAMU run. At the end of the run, Bryant had 27 points while the Golden Lions had 28 total.
The Bulldogs went on to lead by as much as 57-34. UAPB (4-22, 1-12 SWAC) tried to fight back and got as close as 66-54 with 3:46 to play on a 3-pointer by freshman guard Chop Paljor, but AAMU answered with a 9-1 run to end the comeback.
The Golden Lions got to the free throw line with ease, drawing 30 AAMU fouls while committing 22. UAPB shot 10 of 14 from the line in the first half, but the accuracy plummeted in the second half as UAPB finished 20 of 36.
Bozeman said the Golden Lions did a good job getting to the rim and drawing fouls as they typically do, but being the worst free throw shooting team in the SWAC continues to hurt them.
“It’s hard to win any game when you shoot 50 percent from the free throw line,” Bozeman said. “We shoot free throws every day. We put them in pressure situations at the end of practice. We shoot pressure free throws during practice. So, we just gotta find a way to start making them.”
The Golden Lions entered the game shooting 56 percent at the line in SWAC games. No other team shoots below 64 percent.
UAPB also struggled from deep, missing its first 16 3-pointers before Paljor’s shot. UAPB finished 1 of 18.
Bradley finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals, all team highs for UAPB. Forwards Quentin Bolton Jr. and Klemen Vuga each scored 9.
After Bryant, AAMU forward Chad Moodie scored 16 points with 12 rebounds, while guard Dylan McLean scored 10 points.