After making a big change in its practices this week, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff had one of its best offensive games of the season to claim a SWAC victory.
The UAPB women’s basketball team pulled away from Bethune-Cookman in the second half Thursday night for a 77-54 win at H.O. Clemmons Arena.
Head coach Erica Leak said she changed how she kept score in five-on-five practices leading up to this game.
“I’m celebrating the things that I want to see,” Leak said. “Are you setting a good screen? Are you pulling it to each other? Are you diving on the floor for a loose ball? That’s how you generate energy. It just flows through. To see them buy into it, do it, and have the reward of winning? Now I think, OK, Coach. We’re going to keep this up.”
UAPB (5-10, 2-3 SWAC) shot a season-best 57.4 percent from the floor and made 6 of 14 from 3-point range. The Lady Lions’ 77 points were their most against a Division I opponent this year.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Junior guard Indiya Bowen led the Lady Lions with 25 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals. Fellow junior Jailah Pelly added 12 points.
Junior forward Khaniah Gardner stepped up with a season-high 15 points while collecting a team-leading seven rebounds. She drew six fouls and had multiple 3-point play opportunities. She shot 9 of 11 at the free throw line.
Leak said Gardner stepping up to score alongside Bowen and Pelly was big for the team.
“We’ve been preaching to KG all year about why we recruited her and why she’s here, and it’s time to show what she’s capable of,” Leak said. “Today, she did just that. She had confidence. She was on the floor. She was rebounding. She had a steal. She had an assist. Like, she was all over the place, and we need that energy from her night after night.”
Bethune-Cookman (3-14, 1-3) led 33-31 at halftime, but UAPB dominated the second half. The Lady Wildcats didn’t score until 4:30 remained in the third quarter. Sophomore forward Mya Johnson’s layup ended a 16-0 UAPB run which gave the Lady Lions a lead they would not relinquish.
Pelly’s go-ahead layup with 8:45 remaining in the third was the only lead change of the second half after there were four lead changes and five ties in the first half. UAPB outscored BCU 24-8 in the third quarter, which sophomore guard Jayla Cornelius finished with a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.
Gardner said the Lady Lions’ energy helped them take over in the second half.
“That’s the main thing we wanted to focus on in practice and wanted to carry that over in the game,” Gardner said. “We went in the locker room, was like, ‘We got this. We gotta extend the lead,’ because we knew we could do it. So, that’s all it was, my teammates’ energy.”
The Lady Wildcats shot 61.9 percent in the first half but 27.3 percent in the second half. UAPB forced 24 turnovers, the most it has against a Division I opponent, and scored 30 points from them.
BCU guard Janessa Kelley led the Lady Wildcats with 14 points, while forward Tyler Butler added 11 points and 10 rebounds.