Box Score

PINE BLUFF, Ark.- Arkansas-Pine Bluff notched its first Southwestern Athletic Conference win of the season on Monday night with a thrilling 75-68 victory over Alcorn State at H.O. Clemmons Arena.

The Golden Lions (2-16, 1-4 SWAC) and the Braves (3-14, 1-5 SWAC) played it close down stretch. However the Golden Lions took control of the highly contested affair in the second half with less than two minutes remaining and the score at 65-63. Senior guard Savalace Townsend scored five points to push the lead to 70-63 and helped grind out the clock.

Sophomore center Daniel Broughton opened the second half with five straight field goals for Arkansas-Pine Bluff to keep the Golden Lions up with a hot shooting Braves squad. Broughton scored on mid-range jumpers as well as under the basket, and finished with a team-high 23 points on 10-of 13 shooting and eight rebounds.

“That's one thing we've been preaching which is to get him more touches,” said UAPB head coach George Ivory of Broughton. “Daniel is an outstanding rebounder and passer as well and his play tonight showed the potential he has to take over a game.”

The game had a fast pace early on, with both sides grabbing plenty of steals and contesting shots. As the players settled in the Braves began to establish dominance on offense, using their height advantage to produce second-chance opportunities on missed shots. On the other side, the Golden Lions were kept away from the hoop, shooting a collective 11-of-25 from the field in the first half.

Both teams' top scorers revealed themselves in the second half. Alcorn State forward Xavian Rimmer bulldozed his way to the hoop for 15 of his 18 points, while fellow teammate Sullivan came out of the locker room streaking after a pair of easy scores leading into halftime. Broughton and Townsend made quick decisions in the paint to produce points not only for themselves, but also to create opportunities for teammates.

The deciding factor in the game was the free throw line. The Golden Lions finished 22-of-32 at the line, while the Braves only had 12 attempts, connecting on nine of them.

“I think the guys understand now what it takes to win,” said Ivory. “Over the last two games and the last two weeks we've been playing SWAC, we now understand that small things like free throws have the potential to change the outlook of a game.”

Arkansas-Pine Bluff will hit the road this weekend to play Texas Southern University on January 21st, at 4 pm.