MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama State came out firing in the second half as the Hornets defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 62-56 Monday in a SWAC men’s basketball game.
Alabama State (6-10, 3-1 SWAC) had a slim 24-23 lead going into halftime, but scored the first eight points of the second half against UAPB (1-15, 0-3) to open up a nine-point lead.
The Hornets went on to build a 53-38 lead with 6:27 left in the game. From that point, the Golden Lions outscored ASU 17-6 to cut the lead to 59-55 with 47 seconds left.
But Jeff Middlebrooks hit two free throws and Tramaine Butler hit another one to fend off the Golden Lions’ comeback.
Savalace Townsend finished with a game-high 23 points for UAPB and Lazabian Jackson added 11 points. Townsend added nine rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The Hornets shot 49 percent, including 62 percent in the second half. The Golden Lions shot 45 percent from the field, but were just 1-of-8 from beyond the arc.
The Golden Lions were also only 9-of-19 from the free-throw line and had 22 turnovers.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff plays its first home game of the year at 4 p.m. against Southern in a SWAC game.
WOMEN
Alabama State 66, UAPB 58
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Arkansas-Pine Bluff played to its closest outcome of the season Monday.
The Lady Lions still dropped a 66-58 game to Alabama State, though, in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game.
Lakendra Marsh led the Lady Lions (0-14, 0-3 SWAC) with 21 points and four assists and Chi Chi Okwumabua added 18 points.
Alabama State (5-7, 3-1 SWAC) went into halftime with a 32-19 lead, which Lady Lions’ coach Cary Shelton said was because his team could not take care of the ball.
“We turned the ball over quite a bit in the first half, and we cannot turn the ball over so much,” he said.
The Lady Lions finished the game with 28 turnovers.
Alabama State built a 56-31 lead with 7:10 remaining, but UAPB went on a 17-0 run to get back into the game.
“The girls had the opportunity to make a run and forced some turnovers to try and get back into it,” Shelton said.
The Lady Lions got within eight points late, but Alabama State got a couple of big shots to hold off UAPB.
“We gave up two threes trying to back into it,” Shelton said. “If we would have capitalized and if we would have prevent (those threes), then we could have come out with a win.”
There were 69 free throws in the game with the Lady Lions converting on 26 of their 34 attempts.
“We just kept attacking,” Shelton said. “Chi Chi really stepped up and led the comeback, and we was really attacking the basket.”
The Lady Lions play Saturday in their first conference home game of the year against Southern at 2 p.m.
“We are working and getting better,” Shelton said. We are going to build on this and we are going to go home and look forward to playing in front of our fans.”