UAPB Men Hoops Defensive Effort Leads Golden Lions Past Champion Christian

PINE BLUFF, AR —The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff men’s basketball team held Champion Christian to just 14.3 percent from behind the arc in a 3-for-21 shooting performance on the way to an 87-55 victory over the at home Wednesday.

The Golden Lions (1-1), coming off a nearly upset defeat to No.14 TCU 73-72 Monday night, had three players score in double figures, led by Shaun Doss Jr., who had 18 points, four assists and three steals. Kylen Milton tacked on 16 points, six assists and two steals and Ismael Plet helped out with a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

The Golden Lions defense was a problem in Wednesday’s game, forcing 25 turnovers while committing 12. Those takeaways turned into 28 points on the other end of the floor. Chris Greene led the way individually for the Golden Lions with five steals.

How It Happened

UAPB started out the scoring by going on an 8-0 run, culminating in a bucket from Doss Jr., to take an early lead with 18:03 left in the first half. The Golden Lions then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 35-33 advantage. UAPB did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 20 of its 35 points close to the basket.

Following intermission, UAPB kept widening that lead, expanding it to 55-37 before going on a 12-0 run, finished off by Orion Virden’s jumper, to grow the lead to 67-37 with 11:42 to go in the contest. The Golden Lions kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 87-55 win. UAPB capitalized on 21 turnovers in the period, collecting 23 points off those turnovers.

Game Notes

» Ismael Plet notched a double-double for the Golden Lions with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
» UAPB found success from three point land, knocking down nine treys in the game.
» The Golden Lions held the to only 33.9 percent shooting from the field.
» UAPB never trailed on the way to an 87-55 victory.
» UAPB recorded 21 total assists in the game.
» UAPB had a great day defensively, holding to 14 percent from beyond the arc on 21 attempts.
» UAPB bench made an impact by adding 30 points to its scoring output.
» The Golden Lions forced 25 turnovers while committing only 12 on the other end.
» UAPB had a 49-44 edge on the boards in the win.
» UAPB defense forced 25 turnovers.
» The Golden Lions were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying six blocks as a team.
» UAPB cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 14 offensive boards in the game.
» Shaun Doss Jr. led the Golden Lions with a game-high 18 points.
» UAPB got a game-high 12 rebounds from Ismael Plet.

The Golden Lions will be back in action Friday, November 11, in Norman, OK. against the University of Oklahoma. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.