COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — In one of the most dramatic games of the SWAC Tournament thus far, the seventh-seeded Arkansas-Pine Bluff Lady Lions gutted out a 64-60 victory over No. 2 seed Alcorn State on Wednesday at The Gateway Center Arena at College Park, punching their ticket to the semifinal round. It was a game that tested the composure of head coach Erica Leak's squad in every possible way — and they answered every time it mattered most.
The Lady Lions' dominant third quarter was the story of the game. After a sluggish start and a back-and-forth first half that saw UAPB hold a 25-18 edge at the break, Arkansas-Pine Bluff came out of the locker room as a completely different team. The Lady Lions erupted for 28 third-quarter points while holding Alcorn to just 17, turning a manageable lead into what appeared to be a commanding 53-35 cushion heading to the fourth. Jailah Pelly ignited the quarter with back-to-back fast-break layups off Jasmine Davis steals, and the Lady Lions caught fire from that point forward — outscoring the Braves 28-17 in the period and doing it with purpose.
Pelly was UAPB's leading scorer on the night with 19 points, hitting 6-of-10 from the field including two three-pointers, and coming up clutch at the free-throw line with 5-of-6 conversions. She added two steals and four assists over 35 minutes of work and was instrumental in setting the tone in the third. Khaniah Gardner was a matchup nightmare down low, going 7-of-10 from the field to finish with 16 points and 10 rebounds — her second straight double-double in the tournament — while adding a key block in the second quarter. Indiya Bowen rounded out the trio of double-figure scorers with 14 points, four assists, and a trio of three-point attempts that kept the Alcorn defense honest.
The defensive effort was equally impressive. Jasmine Davis was a menace all night, recording a career-high and postseason record five steals to go along with two blocks and two assists in 31 minutes. UAPB finished with 12 steals as a team, disrupting Alcorn's rhythm and generating second-chance opportunities throughout.
But the Lady Lions had to earn every bit of the final score. Alcorn State made a furious fourth-quarter run, outscoring UAPB 25-11 in the final period and cutting the deficit to three with six seconds remaining before Jasmine Davis iced the game at the free-throw line to make it 64-60. Turnovers and missed free throws in the fourth kept the door open for the Braves, and Alcorn's persistence nearly made UAPB pay dearly for a 18-point lead that evaporated in the final ten minutes. Credit the Lady Lions for holding their composure when the game was on the line.
Jakyra Jackson contributed 8 points and 7 rebounds off the bench, and Briontanay Marshall brought toughness in the frontcourt with 8 rebounds and two steals in 28 minutes of action.
With the victory, the No. 7 seed Lady Lions continue to write a postseason story nobody saw coming. UAPB will now await the winner of No. 3 Alabama State and No. 6 Grambling, with that semifinal matchup set for Friday at 4:30 p.m. CST.
