One of the first Division I basketball games to tip off this season will feature the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women.
The Lady Lions will open the season on Monday with an 11 a.m. matinee at Memphis at Elma Roane Fieldhouse on ESPN-Plus. There will only be a small handful of Division I games, men’s or women’s, to tip off earlier than this one on the sport’s opening day.
UAPB (3-25 in 2024-25) features five players from the greater Memphis area who will be returning home for this game. Second-year head Coach Erica Leak previously coached at West Memphis High School.
Junior guard Indiya Bowen from Horn Lake, Miss., led UAPB with 14 points in its preseason exhibition at Little Rock last month. Freshman forward Tyra Taylor of West Memphis scored 8 points.
Freshman guard Alaviah Price also hails from West Memphis, while senior forward Briah Hampton and guard Kristyna Boyd come from Memphis. They did not play against Little Rock, though Boyd is one of the few returners from last season and averaged 8 points per game.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
With a revamped roster, UAPB is looking for an improved season this year in Leak’s second season. The Lady Lions went 0-16 on the road last year.
Memphis (7-23) also struggled, going 6-9 at home a year ago. One of their few wins came against SWAC foe Mississippi Valley State in last year’s opener, 89-78.
Sophomore forward Tamya Smith led the Tigers with 12 points in their exhibition against Vanderbilt. Sophomore guard Jordan Hunter followed with 11. Smith was Memphis’ eighth-leading scorer last season, and none of the players ahead of her return.
UAPB’s starting lineup in the exhibition featured three guards, a forward and a center. Memphis started three guards and two forwards.