It didn’t take former University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women’s basketball coach Dawn Thornton long to get the better of her old team Saturday.
Alabama A&M dominated the first half in a 66-52 win against UAPB at the AAMU Events Center in Huntsville.
UAPB (2-10, 0-2 SWAC) entered the game with the second-lowest shooting percentage in the SWAC, and the offense started cold Saturday. The Lady Lions’ first points came with 5:23 to play in the first quarter on a jumper by Stephanie Okowi.
Alabama A&M (9-5, 2-0) had opened the game on an 8-0 run prior to Okowi’s shot. UAPB’s only other made field goal of the quarter was a 3-pointer by Jailah Pelly with 2:45 on the clock. The Lady Bulldogs led 20-6 entering the second quarter after making four 3-pointers in the opening period.
The offense improved only slightly for UAPB in the second quarter as AAMU pulled away to lead 37-15 at halftime.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The Lady Lions played much better in the second half, outscoring the Lady Bulldogs 37-29. After shooting 20% from the field in the first half, UAPB shot 45.4 percent in the second half, including a 47.1% mark in the fourth quarter.
UAPB managed to get the lead down to 63-50 with 1:52 to play, but a quick 3-pointer in response from AAMU’s Darian Burgin put any comeback thoughts to bed.
Burgin led all scorers with 18 points, while teammate Alisha Wilson scored 13 points with 14 rebounds. Three of Thornton’s former Lady Lions transferred to AAMU with her, but none played in this game.
Pelly led UAPB with 16 points. Kristyna Boyd followed with 9 points and 10 rebounds.
This was the first meeting between the teams since Thornton left UAPB for the head job at AAMU following last season. She spent five years in charge of the Lady Lions. The move to AAMU united Thornton with husband Cedric Thornton, an assistant football coach for the Bulldogs.