UAPB's losing streak lingers

H.O. Clemmons Arena at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is pictured Jan. 25, 2021. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
H.O. Clemmons Arena at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is pictured Jan. 25, 2021. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)

Despite a better offensive showing from Shaun Doss Jr. and Joshuwan Johnson, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff men's basketball team fell just short of stopping its losing streak Saturday in Grambling, La.

Grambling State won 74-71 to hand UAPB its fifth consecutive loss. The Golden Lions (3-13, 2-5) have not won since starting Southwestern Athletic Conference play 2-0 with a Jan. 9 win over Alabama State in Pine Bluff.

Doss finished with 24 points, shooting 9 for 18 from the field and 5 for 8 at the free-throw line. He also pulled down five rebounds and had two assists before fouling out.

Johnson had 18 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds but endured a 6-for-23 shooting performance. Johnson went 4 for 17 from 3-point range.

Five players scored in double figures for Grambling State (6-8, 4-3), led by Zahad Munford with 16 points. Prince Moss tallied 14, Kelton Edwards 11, and Terreon Randolph and Sarion McGee 10 each.

Both teams endured shooting slumps in the final 20 minutes. UAPB shot 12 for 37 from the floor and finished the game 25 for 68 (36.8%), while allowing Grambling State to finish 26 for 54 (48.1%). UAPB was cold from outside, going 8 for 30 (26.7%), while the Tigers made 6 of 12 (50%) from the floor.

The Golden Lions led 26-24 before the Tigers went on an 18-7 run to close the first half. Grambling State expanded the lead to 50-37 with 16:09 left in the game, but less than four minutes later, a Johnson 3-point basket pulled the Lions within 55-50. The Lions rallied from 67-56 down with 4:42 remaining to pull within 72-69 on a Travonta Doolittle 3-point basket with 21 seconds remaining.

Tra'michael Moton made one of two free throws for Grambling State with 13 seconds left, and DeQuan Morris scored in the paint to draw UAPB within 73-71. Munford capped the scoring by making one of two free throws with a second left.

The Lions made 13 of 17 free throws (76.5%), but the Tigers got to the line more and made 16 of 23 (69.6%).

WOMEN

Grambling State 67, UAPB 53

Also in Grambling, Jahnay Anderson scored all 12 of her points on 3-point buckets and led the Lady Lions' long-range attack, but a 31-12 halftime deficit proved too much for them to overcome in their first game in 12 days.

UAPB (2-10, 1-5 SWAC), which has lost five in a row, made eight treys on 21 attempts for the game and scored 25 points in the third quarter alone, but it could not come any closer than 51-40 early in the fourth quarter.

Kaila Walker scored 11 points and totaled seven assists, and Khadijah Brown had 10 points for the Lady Lions.

Justice Coleman led the Tigers (5-5, 4-2) with 27 points, shooting 11 for 18 from the floor.

NEXT UP

UAPB will take on Jackson State in Jackson, Miss., today. The women's game will tip off at 5:30 p.m., with the men's game set for a 7:30 p.m. start. KPBA-FM 99.3 will begin its radio broadcast at 5:15 p.m. The game can also be heard at uapblionsroar.com/live and on the UAPB Athletics app.

The Jackson State men's team is 3-5 overall and 3-0 in the SWAC after thrashing Mississippi Valley State 106-56. The Jackson State women's team is 7-5 and 6-1 after beating Mississippi Valley State 81-63.

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