A tumultuous week left the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff shorthanded Saturday night.
The UAPB women’s basketball team lost to Prairie View A&M at H.O. Clemmons Arena, 66-57, its third loss in its past four games.
UAPB (14-13, 9-5 SWAC) played without key contributors Zaay Green, Jelissa Reese and Demetria Shephard after the three were involved in a heated confrontation on the UAPB bench in the final minute of Monday’s loss at Alabama A&M. Their absence loomed large as UAPB lost at home to Prairie View A&M (10-14, 6-8), a team it had defeated 77-48 on the road Feb. 5.
Head coach Dawn Thornton said the Lady Lions had to play differently without them.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“This group that stepped up to play tonight, they understood that it was going to look different,” Thornton said. “They understood that they haven’t played a lot of minutes together in the past, but I saw a lot of positive moments… I think that we’re learning to play a different style of basketball, and I’m looking forward to watching how we embrace the challenges and really kind of overcome the adversity and work through this.”
Maya Peat led UAPB with 14 points, followed by Coriah Beck with 12 and Kourtney Rittenberry with 10.
Prairie View A&M sophomore Kayla Smith led the Lady Panthers with 20 points after shooting four of seven from 3-point range. Smith had scored 32 total points all season and averaged 2 per game entering the game.
Thornton said Prairie View deserves credit for its bench stepping up and scoring 42 points as UAPB held leading scorer Ryann Payne to 9 points.
“I thought that the game plan that we had to be able to stop Ryann Payne … I thought we did a really good job with that,” Thornton said. “But maybe we lost focus a little bit on other people, but that’s what happens. That’s the game of basketball. When one person isn’t giving you something that you expect to have on any given night, you expect that next person to be able to step up. So, credit to Kayla Smith for stepping up for them, big time.”
Prairie View led 32-24 at halftime. UAPB managed to tie the game at 44 late in the third quarter, but the Lady Panthers took a 46-44 lead into the fourth. The Lady Lions again tied the game at 49 in the fourth with a Rittenberry layup, but Prairie View’s LaFaedria Green took the lead back 16 seconds later. The Lady Panthers led the rest of the game.
Peat got the deficit down to 60-55 with a layup, but Prairie View scored the next 6 points to put the game out of reach.
Thornton said the Lady Lions couldn’t finish the comeback in part because the players who normally take key shots in those moments weren’t playing.
“Other players have to be able to step up to hit big shots,” Thornton said. “So, we gotta get in the gym more. We gotta get shots up more, and we gotta continue to put them in those types of situations so they’ll get a feel for it. But overall, considering the type of week that we’ve had, I’m very, very, very proud and pleased of this group and the effort that they showed tonight.”