A hot-shooting first half was enough for Florida A&M to take down the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff on Saturday.
The UAPB men’s basketball team fell 86-76 at the Al Lawson Center in Tallahassee, Florida, in a battle of teams seeking their first SWAC win.
Florida A&M (4-11, 1-3 SWAC) finished the first half on a 21-4 run and led 49-28 at halftime. UAPB outscored the Rattlers 48-37 in the second half but never got the deficit below 10 points.
FAMU senior guard Sterling Young dominated, finishing with 37 points after shooting 7 of 10 from 3-point range. He had 21 points at halftime with a 21-point lead.
As a team, the Rattlers connected on 13 of 27 3-pointers, including nine in the first half.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
UAPB (3-14, 0-4) scored 46 points in the paint but struggled from outside. The Golden Lions made 6 of 23 shots from 3-point range and finished 10 of 23 at the free throw line.
Junior guard Doctor Bradley led with 24 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, with guard Dante Sawyer adding 12 points.
UAPB never led but hung with FAMU for the first 13 minutes before the Rattlers went on their 21-4 run. FAMU made four 3-pointers in that stretch, including two from guard Milton Matthews.
The Golden Lions shot 44.4 percent in the first half but made 1 of 8 3-pointers and 3 of 12 free throws, helping the Rattlers pull away.
The Golden Lions got the deficit down to 62-52 with 10:29 to play, but FAMU responded with a 7-0 run. The Rattlers led 85-65 with 1:46 to play, ensuring UAPB’s 11-2 run in the final moments didn’t change the result.
The Rattlers’ 86 points was a new season high against a Division I opponent. They entered the game averaging 69.2 points per contest.
With this result, UAPB and Mississippi Valley State are the only remaining SWAC teams without a conference win this season. The Delta Devils lost 83-58 at Bethune-Cookman on Saturday, the team UAPB plays on Monday.