Without one of its best passers on the court, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff was plagued by turnovers Saturday afternoon.
Alcorn State took advantage to defeat the UAPB women’s basketball team 53-40 at the Davey L. Whitney Health & Physical Education Complex in Lorman, Mississippi.
UAPB (3-18, 1-10 SWAC) guard Jailah Pelly, who leads the Lady Lions in assists with 46, missed her first SWAC game of the season. Head coach Erica Leak said Wednesday Pelly would miss the game due to a death in the family.
In her absence, UAPB turned the ball over 26 times, which Alcorn State (7-15, 5-6) turned into 24 points. The Lady Lions’ second-leading assister, guard D’Arrah Allen, finished with six assists and five turnovers. She fouled out with 5:30 remaining in the game with a game-high 10 points.
By comparison, UAPB scored 8 points off 14 Alcorn turnovers. The Lady Braves finished with 18 steals to UAPB’s four.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Alcorn played 13 players, none of whom played more than 27 minutes. UAPB played all nine of its available players, with three playing 32 minutes or more.
UAPB led by as much as 13-8 early in the game. Late in the first quarter, Allen hit a floater to give the Lady Lions a 15-13 lead. Alcorn sophomore guard Dalayja Hurt-Floyd, a fellow Compton, California, native, answered with a half-court buzzer beater to restore the Lady Braves’ lead. UAPB never led again as Alcorn outscored the Lady Lions 37-25 in the final three quarters.
Alcorn seniors Zy’Nyia White and Nakia Cheatman each scored 8 points to lead the Lady Braves, while senior forward Destiny Brown collected 10 rebounds.
After Allen’s 10 points, UAPB forward Stephanie Okowi and guard Uriah Jennings scored 7 points each, with Okowi collecting 13 rebounds. UAPB shot 32.6 percent from the field, made 1 of 6 3-pointers and made 9 of 18 free throws.