ITTA BENA, Miss. –
Khadijah Brown notched her ninth double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds to help the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women's basketball team beat the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devilettes 57-53 on the road Friday.
The Lady Lions (3-18, 2-13 SWAC) had two players score in double figures, led by Brown, who put together a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Kaila Walker added 12 points and eight rebounds and
Nissa Sam-Grant added five points and eight rebounds.
The Lady Lions will now await the conclusion of Saturday's Southwestern Athletic Conference basketball action to learn if they have earned a berth in the Cricket Wireless SWAC Tournament in Birmingham beginning Wednesday.
The UAPB offense was strong from downtown, pouring in seven threes on 23 attempts. Walker hit two treys for the Lady Lions in the contest.
UAPB's defense held Mississippi Valley State to only 32.8% shooting from the field.
UAPB started out the scoring by going on a 7-0 run, culminating in a bucket from Brown, to take an early lead with 5:42 left in the first quarter. The Lady Lions then maintained that lead and entered the quarter break with a 17-10 advantage. UAPB got a great contribution from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for five of its 17 total points.
UAPB kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 5-0 run starting at the 5:10 mark in the second period, highlighted by a three from Walker, to increase its lead to 24-15. The Delta Devilettes cut into that lead, but the Lady Lions still enjoyed a 30-25 advantage heading into halftime. UAPB was strong from deep in the period, knocking down three three-point shots to account for nine of its 13 points.
UAPB continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 5-0 run to expand its lead further to 40-31 with 3:21 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Devilettes had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Lady Lions still entered the fourth quarter with a 40-39 edge. UAPB played well near the basket, scoring six of its 10 points in the paint.
Mississippi Valley State proceeded to take a 41-40 lead before UAPB went on a 6-0 run, finished off by Brown's layup, to seize a 46-41 lead with 7:35 to go in the contest.
