One of the better defensive outings by the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff this season extended the Golden Lions’ win streak to five on Saturday.
The UAPB men’s basketball team defeated Texas Southern 74-66 at H&PE Arena in Houston for its second road win.
UAPB (6-10, 3-0 SWAC) remained undefeated in SWAC play with this win and is now off to its best start to conference play since starting 3-0 in January 2019. The Golden Lions won their first two conference games with offense, averaging 92.5 points, but took their defense with them to Houston.
This season, only Minnesota and Gonzaga have held Texas Southern (2-12, 0-3) to fewer points than UAPB did on Saturday. TSU entered the game averaging 82 points per game at home.
The Tigers shot 40.7 percent from the field and made 2 of 14 from 3-point range after starting 0 of 11 from deep. They had not made fewer than three shots from beyond the arc in a game this season. Only NC State, Minnesota, Sam Houston State and Gonzaga held TSU to a lower field goal percentage.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Illinois-Chicago, the team UAPB beat for its first road win this season, is the only Division I team so far to score fewer points against UAPB, 62. UIC is also the only team to shoot a worse 3-point percentage against UAPB and are one of two to finish with a lower field goal percentage, the other being DePaul.
UAPB snagged 10 steals, tied for its third-highest total this season. Senior guard Alex Mirhosseini led with five.
The lead changed hands five times in the first 10 minutes of the game. TSU senior guard Alex Anderson gave the Tigers a 16-15 lead with 10:18 remaining in the first half, but UAPB retook the lead with an 11-0 run and led the rest of the game.
The Tigers finished both halves strong. TSU trailed 32-18 with 5:06 remaining in the first half but cut it to 34-25 by halftime. Senior guard Quion Williams’ transition dunk with 1:15 remaining put UAPB ahead 74-59, a lead too big for the Tigers to overcome despite scoring the final 7 points.
UAPB’s biggest lead was 56-39 after a 3-pointer by Ramel Lloyd Jr. with 10:30 to go. TSU responded with a 13-2 run, but UAPB did enough to put the game out of reach despite the Tigers hanging around.
The win came despite a season-low six assists. Williams led with three to go with his 16 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. Senior forward Jaquan Scott led the Golden Lions with 18 points. Lloyd added 14, and freshman Milhan Charles scored 13.
UAPB shot 49.1 percent and made 7 of 20 from 3-point range.
Anderson scored 16 points for TSU, tied with senior forward Troy Hupstead for the team lead. Hupstead added 14 rebounds.
UAPB will wrap up its two-game Texas road trip with an important road game at Prairie View A&M on Monday. The Panthers outlasted Mississippi Valley State 70-69 on Saturday.