After spending much of the season so far on the road, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women’s basketball team finally gets a chance to stay home for a while.
UAPB will begin a four-game home stand this weekend when it hosts Grambling State at 6 p.m. Thursday and Southern at 3 p.m. Saturday at H.O. Clemmons Arena.
UAPB (2-13, 0-5 SWAC) has played 11 of its first 15 games outside of Arkansas, including four of the first five SWAC games.
After playing four home games in the first 2.5 months of the season, the Lady Lions will now play four over the next two weekends. Following this week’s matchups with the Louisiana schools, UAPB will host Mississippi Valley State on Feb. 1 before finishing the home stand by making up the postponed Texas Southern game on Feb. 4.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The Lady Lions are 0-11 on the road but 2-2 in Pine Bluff, though the two wins came against non-Division I opponents.
The search for a Division I win continues, though UAPB has had flashes of potential, such as shooting 63% in the first half against Bethune-Cookman last week.
UAPB coach Erica Leak said the Lady Lions are close to breaking through. They just need to keep working hard.
“We’re building a solid foundation and building championship habits,” Leak said. “So, my work ethic, coaching staff’s work ethic, the grind is not going to stop. It’s every day. They come in there focused, and we’re going to work. Like I say in the huddle, ‘Faint not.’ Don’t go weary. In due time, we will reap the harvest if we faint not. Faint not, keep going and not giving up.”
UAPB will begin the home stand Thursday against Grambling State (5-11, 2-3). The Lady Tigers have alternated wins and losses so far in SWAC play and are coming off a 59-53 loss at rival Southern.
GSU has not shot the ball well so far in conference play. The Lady Tigers’ 33.6 percent rate from the field ranks 11th in SWAC play, and they average the fewest made 3-pointers per game with 2.2.
Despite not shooting well, GSU leads the league in offensive rebounds with 19.6 per game, helping the Lady Tigers rank fifth in scoring at 64.8 points per game. Center Lydia Freeman, GSU’s tallest player at 6-foot-5, leads the team with 46 offensive rebounds, but 6-foot forward Alyssa Phillip is right behind her with 45.
Leak said the Lady Lions must defend the paint, limit offensive rebounds and force the Lady Tigers to settle for shots from distance.
“They’ve struggled all year from beyond the arc, but they’re the best in getting to the free throw line,” Leak said. “They want to penetrate or lob it into their center, so we’re going to try to just pack it in and shut that down and just see if they can make some outside shots.”
Southern (6-12, 4-1) has had a great start to SWAC play. The Lady Jaguars’ only loss was a 55-51 road defeat at first-place Texas Southern. They have held SWAC foes to 54.6 points per game, tied with Alabama A&M for the top scoring defense in the league.
The Lady Jags share the ball. Southern’s 14 assists per SWAC game ranks second in the league. Senior guards Aniya Gourdine and DaKiyah Sanders are top four in the conference in assists per league game.