Box Score CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Nov. 13) - The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Women's Basketball team came up short in a 70-58 loss to the University of Illinois, here Sunday afternoon at the State Farm Center.
 
UAPB fought tooth and nail with Illinois with the Lady Lions maintaining the lead the majority of the contest.
 
In the first stanza of play, UAPB grabbed a 5-0 lead on a back-to-back field goals by Destiny Brewton with 8:24 remaining in the quarter.
 
The Illini tied the contest at 13-13 on a pair of Cierra Rice free throws at the 3:58 mark, capping a 13-8 run by Illinois.  Illinois outscored UAPB 6-5 in the final three minutes of the quarter to take a 19-18 lead into the second quarter of play. 
 
In the second quarter of play, the Lady Lions built a 31-27 lead with a 13-7 run, capped off by an Erin Boothe three pointer with 5:05 left in the half.   
 
 The Lady Lions took a 35-33 lead into the break as they finished the first half shooting 36.8  percent (14-of-38), while the Fighting Illini finished shot 36.6 percent (11-of-30).
 
The third quarter would see three ties with Illinois tying the contest at 35-35 on an Alex Wittinger field goal at the 8:42 mark.   Niya Head tied the contest for the second time in the quarter at 38-38 at the 6:23 p.m.
 
UAPB then used a 7-2 run to take a 45-40 lead on a Malaik Muhammad field goal at the 4:52 mark of the contest.  
 
Illinois then countered with a 9-5 run to tie the contest at 49-49 on an Ali Andrews jumper at the 22 seconds mark of the contest.
 
A Brewton field goal with two seconds left in the quarter would give the Lady Lions a 51-49 lead going into the fourth quarter of play.
 
Illinois opened the fourth quarter with a 7-4 run to take a 56-53 lead on a Wittinger field goal at the 7:38 mark.   The Fighting Illini then extended their lead to 64-57 on a pair of Rice field goals with 2:38 left to play in the contest as Illinois went on to win the contest 70-58.
 
UAPB (0-2) was led by Head with 18 points, followed by Brewton with 10 and both Muhammad and Boothe with nine points apiece.  Both Head and Brewton led the Lady Lions on the board with six rebounds each.
 
Illinois (1-1) was led by Wittinger with 23 points and 12 rebounds, followed by Jaelyne Kirkpatrick with 13 and Rice with 11. 
 
UAPB will return to action on Monday, November 21 against Austin Peay in a 7:30 p.m. start at H.O. Clemmons Arena in their home opener.