Two opponents the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff swept in the regular season will stand between the Lady Lions and the SWAC women’s basketball semifinals this week.
UAPB will face either Mississippi Valley State or Prairie View A&M in its first game at the SWAC tournament at 4:30 p.m. CDT Tuesday at the Gateway Center Arena in Atlanta. The winner will go on to face Alcorn State at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the quarterfinals. ESPN+ will stream both games.
No. 7-seed UAPB (13-15, 10-8 SWAC) went a combined 6-0 in the regular season against all three of its potential first two opponents, accounting for more than half of its conference wins.
The Lady Lions will learn who their first foe will be on Monday night. No. 9-seed Mississippi Valley State (7-22, 6-12) and No. 12-seed Prairie View A&M (2-27, 0-18) will play for the right to face UAPB at 4:30 in the tournament’s opening round.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Valley won both of its games against Prairie View. The Lady Panthers enter the postseason having not won a game against a Division I opponent this season and would have to win their first to get a shot against UAPB.
UAPB junior guard Indiya Bowen, recently named the SWAC Newcomer of the Year, had big nights in both regular season games against Valley. She averaged 24 points and 4.5 rebounds per game against the Devilettes.
The Lady Lions scored 68 points in each game against Valley but did much better defensively in the second game. UAPB held the Devilettes to 48 points on 30.2% shooting in UAPB’s final home game Feb. 28.
The Lady Lions held Prairie View to 34% shooting or worse in both matchups, but UAPB’s offense was much stronger in the second game. UAPB scored 81 points at home on Feb. 21, the most the Lady Lions have scored against a Division I foe this season. Five UAPB players reached double figures, led by junior forward Khaniah Gardner’s 17 points and 11 rebounds.
A tougher challenge awaits UAPB if the Lady Lions can win their opener, but it is one they have conquered before.
No. 2-seed Alcorn State (17-12, 14-4) will open its tournament run against the winner of UAPB’s opening game. The Lady Braves overachieved in last season’s SWAC tournament, reaching the championship game as the No. 6 seed.
Half of Alcorn’s conference losses came against UAPB. The Lady Braves were 9-1 when they traveled to Pine Bluff on Feb. 7, having only lost on the road to eventual SWAC regular season champion Alabama A&M.
UAPB erased a 42-23 deficit in the second half to defeat Alcorn 64-60. Nearly a month later, UAPB wrapped up the regular season on March 5 by spoiling Alcorn’s senior night with a 66-61 road win.
That second upset of Alcorn sent UAPB into the SWAC tournament having won four of its past five games. It also gave the Lady Lions a confidence-building fifth road win of the season and third road win in SWAC play.
Bowen averaged 20.5 points per game against Alcorn, while junior guard Jailah Pelly averaged 17.5. Bowen had four assists in each game, while Pelly collected seven rebounds in the rematch.
The winner of Alcorn’s opening game will go on to play either No. 3-seed Alabama State or No. 6-seed Grambling State in the semifinals on Friday. UAPB went a combined 0-3 against those teams.