Lady Lions beat AAMU, advance to SWAC semis

A season-best 3-point shooting performance sent the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to the SWAC semifinals Thursday.

The UAPB women’s basketball team defeated Alabama A&M 82-74 in the opening round of the SWAC tournament at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala., after a big shot by guard Kaila Walker spoiled an impressive comeback by the Lady Bulldogs.

UAPB (17-15) led 69-49 after guard Zaay Green scored a layup 10 seconds into the fourth quarter, but the Lady Lions didn’t make another shot from the field until Walker made a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left.

Alabama A&M (15-16) went on a 25-2 run after Green’s layup to take its first lead of the game. AAMU guard Kaylah Turner, the SWAC freshman of the year, hit the go-ahead jumper before guard Amiah Simmons scored soon after to make it 74-71.

Walker and Green made free throws to retake the lead, then Walker hit UAPB’s 13th 3-pointer of the game to put AAMU away. Green made four more free throws down the stretch, and AAMU turned the ball over on back-to-back in-bounds plays as UAPB held on to advance.

AAMU’s comeback nearly ruined an impressive shooting performance by the Lady Lions. UAPB set a new season-high in made 3-pointers after shooting 13 of 20 (65 percent). The Lady Lions made 10 in the first half. The previous season high was 11 against McNeese State on Dec. 31.

Walker shot 6 of 7 from 3-point range. Green made 4 of 6, and guard Tia Morgan made 3 of 5.

This performance came despite guard Coriah Beck, the team’s leader in 3-pointers with 54, not playing due to an Achilles tendon injury. She made eight in the McNeese game.

Green finished with 32 points, and Walker scored 22, both season highs.

Simmons led AAMU with 34 points, including a 5 of 10 performance from 3-point range.

Green made the first shot, a 3-pointer, 30 seconds into the

game. The Lady Lions led 10-2 before AAMU made a shot from the field and led 26-11 after the first quarter. UAPB kept its lead in double digits the entire second quarter and led 50-29 at halftime after Morgan beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer from the corner.

AAMU outscored UAPB 20-17 in the third before mounting its comeback in the fourth.

UAPB will face regular season SWAC champion Jackson State in the semifinals Friday night at 5:30 p.m.