A 2-0 start to Southwestern Athletic Conference play quickly turned into 2-2 for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s men’s basketball team.
After exceeding the 90-point mark in its conference wins over Mississippi Valley State and Alabama State, the Golden Lions (3-10, 2-2 SWAC) didn’t get to 60 in either of its games at Southern University and Alcorn State, and both losses were decided by more than 30 points.
“One thing I saw we struggled in was really guarding the 3-point line,” Lions coach George Ivory said. “I thought that really hurt us last weekend. We were playing man, and we didn’t execute especially in the last 10 minutes of the ballgame. Those are some things that we’ve been working on.”
And by “working on them,” Ivory means he put the Lions through tough practices ahead of today’s home game against Texas Southern (2-7, 0-2), a perennial conference power led by former LSU head coach Johnny Jones.
“I think what’s going to help us is coming back home and getting some good, hard work in,” Ivory said after Thursday’s practice. “Practice has been tough the last couple of days.”
Ivory reminded redshirt junior guard/small forward Shaun Doss Jr., who had won back-to-back SWAC player-of-the-week awards, to fight through the physicality of opposing teams and look for his shot more. Doss averages 18.6 points per game but was held to 10 in the 82-48 thrashing at the hands of Alcorn State this past Monday.
Ivory is looking for a little more offense as well from junior point guard Joshuwan Johnson, who totaled 21 points in the past two road games (held to five against Alcorn) after scoring a season-high 25 on Alabama State.
“We worked on getting [Doss] and [senior forward Terrance] Banyard the ball and our little point guard [Johnson],” Ivory said. “It’s bad when you have to punish somebody to shoot. I think they’re getting it.”
UAPB is shooting only 37.2% from the floor this season and has allowed opponents to connect on 50.1%.
Texas Southern has outshot opponents 44.5% to 42.7% from the floor this season. Senior guard Michael Weathers (14.8 points per game), redshirt junior forward John Walker III (13.6) and senior forward Galen Alexander (12.2) lead the Tigers in scoring.
The Tigers, however, are coming off losses at Prairie View A&M and at home against Grambling State.
UAPB will seek to go 3-0 at H.O. Clemmons Arena this season without a home crowd. UAPB has announced no fans will be allowed at home events until further notice as a measure of caution against covid-19.
The men’s contests are the only basketball games on tap at Clemmons this weekend. The UAPB women’s team was forced to postpone today’s game against Texas Southern and Monday’s contest against Prairie View for reasons related to covid-19. The UAPB men’s team will tip off against Prairie View (3-4, 2-0) at 6 p.m. Monday, 2 hours earlier than scheduled.
UAPB MEN’S BASKETBALL
(3-10, 2-2 SWAC)
Today: vs. Texas Southern (2-7, 0-2), 5 p.m. at H.O. Clemmons Arena.
Monday: vs. Prairie View A&M (3-4, 2-0), 6 p.m. at H.O. Clemmons Arena.
Audio: KPBA-FM 99.3, uapblionsroar.com and UAPB Athletics app (broadcast begins 15 minutes before each tipoff).
Video: uapblionsroar.com and UAPB Athletics app.
SWAC standings: 1. Southern (3-4, 3-0 SWAC); 2. Prairie View (3-4, 2-0); 3. Alabama A&M (3-0, 1-0); 3. Jackson State (1-5, 1-0); 5. Alcorn State (2-6, 2-1); 6. Grambling State (5-7, 3-2); 7. UAPB (3-10, 2-2); 8. Alabama State (1-4, 1-4); 9. Texas Southern (2-7, 0-2); 10. Mississippi Valley State (0-12, 0-4).