ITTA BENA, MS -- The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women's basketball team scored 38 points off of turnovers on the way to an 80-77 win over the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils on the road Saturday.

The Lady Lions (2-9, 1-0 SWAC) had four players score in double figures, led by Jayla Atmore, who had 22 points, eight rebounds, and three steals. Trasity Totten added 14 points, six rebounds, and two steals, and Kyeonia Harris chipped in as well with 12 points and four assists from the bench.

UAPB pulled down 48 rebounds in Saturday's game compared to Mississippi Valley State's 45, led by Atmore's eight boards. The Lady Lions also cleaned up the offensive glass, turning 16 rebounds into 12 second-chance points.

UAPB forced 33 Mississippi Valley State turnovers while committing 30 themselves in Saturday's game. The Lady Lions turned those takeaways into 38 points on the offensive end of the floor. Oluwatunmise Amusa's five steals led the way for UAPB.

After falling behind 17-14, UAPB went on a 7-0 run with 1:22 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Harris, to take a 21-17 lead, a score that would hold for the rest of the period. UAPB capitalized on 20 Mississippi Valley State turnovers in the period, turning them into nine points on the other end of the floor.

UAPB kept its first-quarter lead intact before going on a 5-0 run starting at the 1:35 mark in the second period, highlighted by a three from Harris, to increase its lead to 37-30. The Delta Devils cut into that lead, but the Lady Lions still enjoyed a 37-31 advantage heading into halftime.

Following intermission, UAPB continued to expand its advantage, pushing it to 53-41 before going on a 6-0 run to expand its lead further to 59-41 with 49 seconds to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Delta Devils had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Lady Lions still entered the fourth quarter with a 59-45 edge. UAPB took advantage of 13 Mississippi Valley State turnovers in the quarter, scoring nine points off of takeaways.

Mississippi Valley State proceeded to take a 70-69 lead before UAPB went on a 9-0 run to seize a 78-70 lead with 41 seconds to go in the contest. The Delta Devils narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Lady Lions still held on for the 80-77 win.

"We've been trying to find the identity of this basketball team," said UAPB head coach Dawn Brown. "Atmore stepped up big for us, which is why we brought junior college players in. We talked about it all the time that defense is our offense and we showed it tonight as a team.  Amusa brought a lot of energy to the floor, and she's going to be very special for us down the stretch, but overall I'm happy for the ladies"

The Lady Lions return to action on Saturday against Alabama A&M in Huntsville, Alabama at 4 p.m.   The UAPB Sports Network will have live radio broadcast on 99.3 FM The Beat, online at uapblionsroar.com, and on the free UAPB Athletics App.

 

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