UAPB to play against Panthers
The last time the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff faced Prairie View A&M, the Golden Lions brought positive momentum into the matchup.
Things have changed since then, but the UAPB men’s basketball team will get another shot at the Panthers at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at H.O. Clemmons Arena. Then on Monday, the Golden Lions will host Texas Southern at 7:30 p.m.
When UAPB (11-15, 6-7 SWAC) traveled to Prairie View on Feb. 5, the Golden Lions had won five of their previous six games. UAPB guard Rashad Williams hit a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left to take the lead, but the Panthers’ Charles Lane Jr. drew a foul and made two game-winning free throws with 8 seconds remaining.
That 75-74 loss was the first of three-straight. UAPB has now lost four of its past five games, leaving the Golden Lions in ninth place in the SWAC. The top eight will qualify for the SWAC basketball tournament.
With Prairie View (10-16, 5-8) one game behind UAPB in the standings, this game isn’t just about redemption; it is about survival.
UAPB coach Solomon Bozeman said the Golden Lions are focused.
“I think we understand what we need to do to win games,” Bozeman said. “We’re doing a great job of showing them what needs to be done in film. Now, it’s just about coming out doing it consistently for 40 minutes.
“I really believe these guys want to win, man. I believe they want to change the program. I truly believe that, so it’s just going to take a different type of focus and a different mentality to get this thing turned the way we need to be turned.”
The Panthers enter this game having lost three of their four games since beating UAPB, although last weekend’s losses were to the SWAC’s joint leaders, Southern and Grambling State.
Two of UAPB’s recent losses came with Williams sidelined with a wrist injury, which Bozeman said he suffered in the Prairie View loss. He returned last weekend and made an instant impact, scoring 33 points in an
80-74 win at Alabama State and 23 in a 75-67 loss at Alabama A&M. He scored 28 points in the loss at Prairie View.
Williams said the wrist feels better each day.
“Still a lot of work I need to do on it, but you know, this is my last year,” Williams said. “So, me getting back with the guys, that was the priority for me. I didn’t want to go out this last year in a cast, so I’ve been working my butt off trying to get back as fast as possible.”
Texas Southern (10-14, 8-5) will travel to Mississippi Valley State on Saturday before heading to Pine Bluff. UAPB beat the Tigers 70-67 in Houston on Jan. 13. TSU won six of its next seven games after that. The Tigers’ streak ended with a pair of losses to Bethune-Cookman and Grambling but seem to be back on track after beating Southern 68-56 in their most recent game.
Bozeman said UAPB needs to play disciplined.
“They got some good guard play,” Bozeman said. “They’re bigger. They’re playing better lately, but that guard play is huge, so we’re going to have to be disciplined on the defensive end of the floor. And offensively, man, just continue to play for each other. Once we play for each other, this team has shown that it’s special offensively once we continue to play for each other.”