New potential scoring options emerged for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women’s basketball team last weekend, and the Lady Lions may need them again.
UAPB will host Bethune-Cookman at 5:30 p.m. Thursday and Florida A&M at 3 p.m. Saturday at H.O. Clemmons Arena.
Throughout this season, junior guards Indiya Bowen and Jailah Pelly have done most of the scoring for UAPB (4-10, 1-3 SWAC). Bowen is averaging 13.2 points per game, while Pelly is averaging 12.4. They are both among the SWAC’s top five scoring leaders, but no other UAPB player averages more than six points per game.
A lack of consistent scoring from the rest of the roster has been an issue. In UAPB’s first 12 games, there were seven in which a player other than Bowen or Pelly reached double figures. Only two players did so twice.
One of those two, junior guard Jasmine Davis, was one of two Lady Lions who stepped up to help Bowen and Pelly over the weekend in Houston, giving them scoring help UAPB sorely needed.
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Davis scored a season-high 21 points while grabbing six rebounds against Texas Southern with Bowen and Pelly in foul trouble much of the game. She had not scored more than 14 points in a game this season and entered the game having failed to reach 10 points in her previous nine outings.
True freshman Tyra Taylor scored a career-high 17 points with nine rebounds against Prairie View A&M two days before adding 12 points and eight boards against Texas Southern. Her only previous double-digit performance was a 12-point outing at Louisiana Tech on Nov. 18. A 12-rebound day against Arkansas Baptist was her only prior game with more than six boards.
Their contributions weren’t enough to top Texas Southern, but Taylor’s career night at Prairie View helped UAPB earn its first SWAC win this season after an 0-2 start.
The 49 points UAPB allowed were tied for the third fewest the Lady Panthers have scored this season and were the second fewest UAPB has allowed. Of note, Prairie View played without its two leading scorers but got career highs out of two freshmen.
The Prairie View win was UAPB’s third road win this season, but the Lady Lions enter this weekend 1-3 at home with non-Division I foe Arkansas Baptist the only victory.
Bethune-Cookman (3-13, 1-2) will be UAPB’s next shot at a home win. The Lady Wildcats started SWAC play with an 87-56 home win against rival Florida A&M but lost to Southern and Grambling State since.
Florida A&M (3-11, 2-1) defeated both Louisiana schools at home after its road loss to Bethune. Neither Florida-based team has won a road game this season, though the Lady Rattlers will have a chance to do so against Mississippi Valley State on Thursday before traveling to Pine Bluff for Saturday’s game.
Senior guard Daimoni Dorsey leads Bethune-Cookman in scoring with 8.9 points per game, while junior forward Sanai Tyler averages 6.6 points and 6.9 rebounds.
FAMU senior guard Camille Jackson leads her team with 10.7 points per game and 5.3 rebounds, with junior guard Shaniyah McCarthy averaging 10.3 points and junior guard Tahnyjia Purifoy averaging 10.2.
These games will be UAPB’s last at home until February.