Victorious Lady Lions secure winning season
Late-season adversity has done little to slow down a University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women’s basketball team that has already set one high mark as a Division I program.
Coriah Beck led five starters — all seniors — in double-figure scoring as UAPB took a 78-57 win over longtime SWAC rival Mississippi Valley State University on Saturday at the H.O. Clemmons Arena. The Lady Lions (16-13, 11-5 SWAC) have secured their first winning season since joining NCAA Division I for the 1997-98 season with two regular-season games remaining — Thursday at Jackson State University and next Saturday at Alcorn State University.
UAPB has won 2 straight but is also 2-1 since leading scorer Zaay Green and fellow seniors Demetria Shephard and Jelissa Reese were suspended following an altercation on their own bench late in the Feb. 19 loss at Alabama A&M University. Green will return to action Thursday, Coach Dawn Thornton said, but Shephard and Reese are no longer with the Lady Lions, as is junior Corina Carter (for unknown reasons).
“To be honest with you, adversity is a part of your journey,” Thornton said. “… I think the style of play we’re playing, we’re playing together. We’re playing our best basketball going into March. You take away the three players [Green, Shephard and Reese] and you take away 30 points of offense easily, yet we still have 20-point wins.”
Beck, who transferred last season from the University of Memphis, had 21 points and 6 rebounds. Maya Peat and Tia Morgan each had 11 points (Morgan made 7 assists), Maori Davenport neared a double-double with 10 points and 9
rebounds, and Kaila Walker had 10 points and 6 assists.
“We’re still a talented team with all the adversity we went through,” Beck said. “We’ve got to put all of our talent and hard work on the floor and get the job done.”
As Thornton suspected, Valley (4-25, 3-13) didn’t go away very easily from UAPB, trailing only 22-18 at halftime after outscoring the Lady Lions 11-7 in the second quarter.
“Coach T said everybody’s going to come and give us their best shot,” Peat said. “We’re ready for it, and you see we’ve been taking it right to the chin.”
UAPB outscored Valley 29-18 in the third quarter, largely due to its 4-for5 shooting from 3-point range. Beck made 3 of the Lady Lions’ 5 treys.
To make the day more special, her father, former NFL offensive lineman Todd Peat saw her play at Clemmons Arena for the first time.
“Just playing my last home game here, it’s very sentimental,” Peat said.
Thornton said Peat has shown the most growth of all her players in the past four years.
“She took care of her health and nutrition and wanted to be great,” Thornton said. “If you ask her, how do you want to leave your legacy, she wants to be known as Maya.”
Lizzie Walker led Valley with 14 points, 4 steals and 8 rebounds. Sh’Diamond McKnight and Jaylia Reed each had 13 points.
UAPB shot 48.1% (26 of 54) from the floor and made 21 of 32 free throws. Valley was held to 30% (18 of 60) shooting and converted 18 of 25 free throws.
The UAPB men’s team hosted Valley later Saturday.