A bye to the quarterfinals in next week’s SWAC tournament is on the line as the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff enters the final week of the women’s basketball regular season.
The Lady Lions will play Jackson State at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center in Jackson, Miss. The Lady Lions will then conclude the regular season against Alcorn State at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Davey L. Whitney Complex in Lorman, Miss.
Senior center Briontanay Marshall said hard work in practice will have the Lady Lions prepared for these two important games.
“We actually got it,” Marshall said. “We’re going to be fine. We just gotta continue sharing the ball and rebounding.”
UAPB (12-14, 9-7 SWAC) enters the week tied with Jackson State and Grambling State for fifth in the SWAC. The Lady Lions are guaranteed to enter the SWAC tournament, which will be held March 9-14 at the Gateway Center Arena in Atlanta, no higher than the No. 5 seed and no lower than the No. 7 seed.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
It is possible for UAPB to finish tied for fourth with Alabama State and possibly Grambling, but UAPB’s 0-3 record against those teams would ensure the Lady Lions lose the tiebreaking procedure and fall short of the No. 4 seed.
The distinction between the Nos. 6 and 7 seeds is significant. The top six teams in the conference get byes to the quarterfinals and will need to win three games to win the SWAC championship. The No. 7 seed, however, must play the round prior to the quarterfinals and will need to win four games to win a championship.
Coach Erica Leak said finishing top six has been the Lady Lions’ goal for a while now, and the coaches have gone through all the possible scenarios.
“We know what we need to do,” Leak said. “I have confidence in the girls. They’re ready. They’re focused. Practice has been about situations, what to do on the sideline. We’ve done the up and down. We know that part of the game. I think now, we’re trying to tackle the mind, the mindset and mentality of how you need to be thinking.”
UAPB could clinch a top-six seed with a win Tuesday against Jackson State (11-17, 9-7). The Lady Lions defeated Jackson State 74-68 on Feb. 5 in Pine Bluff, meaning a win would clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Lady Tigers. A 2-1 record against Jackson State and Grambling State would also give UAPB the tiebreaker in a potential three-way tie for the No. 5 seed.
With a loss to Jackson State, UAPB would need to beat Alcorn State (16-11, 13-3) and hope other games go the Lady Lions’ way. Of note, UAPB would still control the tiebreaker with Jackson State if it loses by fewer than six points.
Leak said her team must enter Tuesday’s game with the stakes in mind.
“We have to be locked in, ready to play 40 minutes, because they’re fighting for the top-six spot, as well,” Leak said. “Alcorn is safe, but Jackson State is fighting really, really hard, so I think they’re going to play their best game. … We just have to take care of business.”
One piece of good news for both UAPB and Jackson State: Grambling must play Alabama A&M and Alabama State on the road this week.
AAMU has already clinched the No. 1 seed, while Alabama State enters the week in fourth, making both tough games for Grambling. Still, Grambling’s 65-54 win against UAPB on Jan. 22 means the Lady Lions must win at least once this week to have a chance at a top six seed, even if Grambling goes 0-2.
The Jackson game becomes even more important considering who each team faces on Thursday. The Lady Tigers get a home date with Mississippi Valley State, which enters the week in ninth, while UAPB must go to second-place Alcorn.
UAPB defeated Alcorn 64-60 with a major second half comeback on Feb. 7, but the Lady Braves will be much tougher to defeat in their home gym. Alcorn is 9-2 at home this season, while UAPB is 4-11 on the road.
Leak said since the SWAC tournament is away from home, the Lady Lions can’t use playing on the road as an excuse against any team, despite their record.
“It’s 40 minutes of basketball,” Leak said. “We do things the right way, what we know to do, we’ll be fine. But we gotta be ready to know when we step off that bus, we’re down 10, and it’s going to be a dogfight. But if we continue to do the right things the right way, the score will take care of itself.”