Attacking the rim got the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women’s basketball team back on track Thursday night.
UAPB outlasted Texas Southern 68-62 at H.O. Clemmons Arena, splitting the season series with the Lady Tigers and extending its home winning streak to five.
UAPB (10-14, 7-7 SWAC) scored 44 points in the paint and shot 12 of 18 from the free throw line. Every point the Lady Lions scored in the first half was either at the rim or the line.
The trend mostly continued in the second half, though UAPB took more outside shots. After shooting 0 for 1 from three-point range in the first half, the Lady Lions finished 4 of 11 with junior guard Indiya Bowen making two.
UAPB Coach Erica Leak said the game plan centered on attacking the rim.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“We knew it would be an inside game tonight, so we were feeding our posts,” Leak said. “So glad that we could capitalize on our inside game, and even our guards. Limited shooting threes and getting to the basket. I thought it was a mismatch there, and again, just happy to capitalize on the game plan and see it through and get the win.”
The Lady Lions finished 48.1% from the field.
UAPB junior forward Khaniah Gardner scored a season-high 24 points with five rebounds. It was her second straight game setting a new season-high after scoring 20 points on Saturday at Alabama State. She had not previously scored more than 15 this year.
Gardner said once the first few shots went in, she got the boost of confidence she needed to have a big night.
“I felt amazing,” Gardner said. “I knew it was going to be a tough game. We had to get this win, so I was just locked in.”
Bowen added 15 points, while junior guard Jailah Pelly scored 14. Freshman forward Tyra Taylor led the team with nine rebounds to go with her six points. UAPB outrebounded the Lady Tigers 37-32.
Sophomore Taliyah Logwood joined Gardner in scoring a new season high for Texas Southern (9-17, 5-9). Logwood finished with 32 points and six rebounds with Texas Southern’s leading scorer this season, graduate guard Daeja Holmes, missing her third straight game. Junior guard Aaliyah Henderson added 12, but no other Lady Tiger surpassed seven points.
Leak said the scouting report heavily featured Logwood.
“She’s a great player, so we just have to give respect to her,” Leak said. “She’s tough to guard, and once she gets hot, it’s hard to settle her down. But again, called timeouts, settled down. Listen, we gotta have better closeouts and run her off the three-point line. But again, she was big for them, but we were able to contain everybody else.”
The first half featured six lead changes and seven ties, but UAPB took a 29-27 lead into the locker room. Texas Southern tied the game at 31 with 6:17 to play, but Gardner scored the first five points of a 9-0 run to give the Lady Lions the lead for good.
UAPB’s largest lead was a 52-42 edge with 8:04 remaining in the fourth quarter. Back-to-back three-pointers from Logwood later cut the lead to 52-50, but Bowen answered with a three of her own to keep the Lady Lions ahead.
Texas Southern cut the lead to five points several more times but never got closer again. Leak said the Lady Lions responded well every time Texas Southern made a push.
“Indiya Bowen, she had a slow start, but once she turned it on, she was really key for us,” Leak said. “Also, Pelly made some shots down the stretch, and they got it done. We went, I think, 3 for 3 for 3 for 3 that one stretch, but again, I said, ‘Hey, let’s not play into their hands. We still want to get to the basket, get to the rim.'”
Bowen suffered an apparent knee injury late in the first half but came back in the second half.