Two big games in Alabama await the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff this weekend, and the Golden Lions hope this won’t be their last trip there this season.
The UAPB men’s basketball team will face Alabama State in Montgomery on Saturday at 5:30 p.m., then head to Huntsville for a Monday game against Alabama A&M at 7:30 p.m.
UAPB (10-14, 5-6 SWAC) has lost its past three games. The Golden Lions enter the weekend tied for eighth in the SWAC, but there is still plenty of opportunity for UAPB to get back on track.
UAPB is only two games behind the teams currently tied for third. A good performance this weekend could help ensure the Golden Lions make another trip to Alabama in March for the SWAC tournament, which takes the top eight teams.
Head coach Solomon Bozeman said the key to ending this losing streak is discipline.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“Teams that win are disciplined,” Bozeman said. “So, our main focus right now is just making sure that we’re disciplined every day. Every small detail, we gotta be disciplined. Whether it’s showing hands early, whether it’s being in the gap, we just gotta be disciplined.”
UAPB guard Rashad Williams missed last weekend’s games with a wrist injury. Coaches said Friday he will be a game-time decision at Alabama State.
Williams is UAPB’s second-leading scorer, averaging 17.2 points per game, and the Golden Lions’ offense struggled in his absence. UAPB was averaging 76.4 points per SWAC game entering last weekend but scored 56 against Alcorn State and 63 against Jackson State.
UAPB has three other guards averaging 10 or more points. Kylen Milton scored 19 against Alcorn State, and Lonnell Martin Jr. scored 11, but no UAPB guard scored more than 9 in the loss to JSU.
Martin said he needs to play better.
“Scoring the ball is something that we need right now, and defending, I feel like I haven’t been my best at that,” Martin said. “So, I can take these two losses on the chin and say I need to bring more, and I will bring more this weekend.”
Having now played every team in the SWAC, UAPB’s games this weekend will be rematches from the opening weekend of conference play.
Alabama State (11-13, 6-5) ranks second in the SWAC defensively, allowing 64.2 points per game. The Hornets, who defeated UAPB 83-72 in Pine Bluff, present a tough challenge for a slumping offense.
The Hornets lead the SWAC in rebounding, including ranking second in offensive rebounding. UAPB allowed 22 second-chance points to Jackson State, making that a key concern.
Bozeman said UAPB is working hard on rebounding.
“I feel confident,” Bozeman said. “We just gotta be the more physical team. When you go on the road against a good Alabama State team, you gotta make sure we’re the more physical team, and I think our guys are getting ready for that.”
Alabama A&M (6-18, 5-6) is coming off a 60-50 road win at Grambling State and has won three of its past four games. The Bulldogs, who will first face Mississippi Valley State on Saturday, defeated UAPB 63-62 in the SWAC opener.
AAMU is one of two teams in the SWAC with more turnovers than UAPB. The Bulldogs have the worst assist-to-turnover ratio in the league, 0.56, something of which the Golden Lions could take advantage.