Fans who were looking forward to seeing a former conference player of the year suit up for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff will have to wait until next season.
UAPB women’s basketball coach Dawn Thornton told The Commercial on Wednesday that guard Starr Jacobs, who transferred from the University of Texas at Arlington this past offseason, will not play until next season.
“Deep down inside, she wants to be able to have the opportunity to play a full year,” Thornton said. “Knowing that our entire team really, truly gets their COVID year back, we only lose one player this year. Even if Zaay [Green] decides that she doesn’t want to try to get drafted this year, Zaay has another year next year. So, everybody comes back. Starr wants a fresh start, and I think that that’s what’s best.”
Jacobs hails from Duncanville, Texas, like fellow guard Zaay Green. She initially signed with Houston out of high school but transferred to UTA without playing for the Lady Cougars.
She averaged 18.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game last season with the Lady Mavericks. She is a two-time conference player of the year with UTA, winning the award in the Sun Belt Conference two seasons ago and in the Western Athletic Conference last season.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Although Jacobs will sit out the rest of this season, Thornton said the Lady Lions will nonetheless receive reinforcements this month.
“I’m looking forward to Tia Morgan returning,” Thornton said. “She should be back if not this week, next week, so I’m looking forward to that, and we’ll be adding Empress Roberts. You all haven’t seen her. She’s a freshman. Was supposed to play last year, tore her ACL last year. Came back from a torn ACL the next day in practice and tore it again, but she is clear. We’re waiting on her brace, and I’m hoping to get some great news from her, and she, by far, will be a contender for freshman of the year in this league.”
Morgan played the first two games this season against Oregon State and Oregon and contributed nine rebounds and six assists. The Tyler (Texas) Junior College transfer averaged 5.5 points per game last season with two 15-point games during conference play.
Roberts hails from Harker Heights, Texas, and is preparing to make her UAPB debut.
UAPB (5-8) opens conference play at home Saturday against Alabama A&M and Monday against Alabama State. If Morgan and Roberts don’t make it back in time for those games, they will have another chance next weekend on the road as the Lady Lions travel to Houston to play Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M.