GRAMBLING, La. – The University of Arkansas At Pine Bluff women's and men's basketball teams will open the final two-game road trip of the regular season with a 3 p.m. doubleheader Saturday at Grambling.
The UAPB Sports Network broadcast begins at 2:30 p.m. on 99.3 FM The Beat, online at uapblionsroar.com/live and on the free UAPB Athletics App. The games will also be video streamed by GSU, with links to watch the game at uapblionsroar.com and via the free UAPB Athletics App.
Both Golden Lion teams split last weekend's homestand to stay in the hunt for a berth in the upcoming Cricket Wireless SWAC Basketball Tournament.
The UAPB women enter Saturday's game in 8
th place, two losses behind Alabama St. for the seventh spot and one game ahead of Grambling in the loss column for the final spot in the tournament. The Lady Lions defeated Grambling 84-79 at home on Feb. 1 and currently have the head-to-head tie breaker over GSU. UAPB also holds the tie-breaker with Alabama State should the teams end up tied in the standings.
The UAPB women (5-20 overall, 4-11 SWAC) lost at home Monday to Texas Southern 77-46.
Jayla Atmore led the Lady Lions with 18 points and eight rebounds.
Grambling (3-22, 2-12) has defeated both Alabama A&M and Alcorn St. this season and has four games remaining. The Lady Tigers have posted home conference wins over Alabama A&M and Alcorn, but have currently lost three in a row, including an 82-59 home loss to first-place Jackson State last Saturday.
Justice Coleman (14.4 ppg) ranks fourth in the SWAC in scoring. Grambling ranks 8th in the SWAC in scoring (60.9 ppg), t-4th in FG% (38.4), 7th in 3-pt FG% (28.1), 1st in FT% (71.0) and 10th in rebounds (30.5). Defensively, the Tigers are 9th in ppg allowed (74.8) and FG% (45.0), and 4th in 3-pt FG% (31.3).
The Golden Lion men (4-23, 3-12) kept its SWAC Tournament hopes alive with a thrilling 74-72 overtime win over Texas Southern.
Markedric Bell scored 22 points and had eight rebounds to lead four players in double figures. K'Shun Stokes added a career-high 14 points off the bench. Wallace scored 13 points and had five rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Carter tallied 10 points and eight rebounds.
UAPB is currently ninth in the standings, two games behind Alabama A&M in the loss column heading into the final stretch of the season.
UAPB lost at home to Grambling 49-47 earlier this month. The Tigers (14-13, 8-6) are currently tied for fourth place with Alcorn St. in the loss column and are battling for a top-four seed for the SWAC Tournament, winning this past weekend at home over Jackson St.
Devante Jackson (t-9th in SWAC at 13.8 ppg), and Ivy Smith Jr. (13th at 13.0 ppg, 1st in assists at 4.6 apg and 1st in steals at 2.5 spg) lead the Tigers. Grambling ranks 2nd in the SWAC in scoring (72.3 ppg), 1st in FG% (45.7), t-5th in 3-pt FG% (30.0), 4th in FT% (68.6) and 3rd in rebounds (35.8). Defensively, GSU is 5th in ppg allowed (70.4), 1st in FG% (43.2), and 8th in 3-pt FG% (34.7).
