UAPB Men’s Hoops Drop Crucial Matchup against Jackson State

PINE BLUFF, AR – The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff men’s basketball team lost a crucial matchup against Jackson State with a final score of 60-47 on Monday night at H.O. Clemmons Arena.

Dequan Morris led the Golden Lions with 16 points going 7-of-15 from the field with two rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

K’Shun Stokes followed with nine points, four rebounds, and one steal.

Getting off to a quick start, Morris would score seven consecutive points, with his first being a fastbreak three-pointer in transition followed by a two-handed vertical jam over a Jackson State defender. From an Omar Parchman rebound, Morris would go coast-to-coast, stopping at the elbow for a nothing-but-net pull-up jumper.

Jackson State would then go on a 9-0 run to take off with the lead in the first half.

Trailing to the Tigers coming out of halftime 33-17, the Golden Lions began to play with a sense of urgency against JSU.

Going into his isolation play, Shawn Williams would have the ball at the top of the key, snake dribbling around a Jackson State defender, pulling up inside the key to start the second half positively.

However, the Jackson State defensive plan was to clog the paint to challenge the Golden Lions when penetrating. Kylen Milton did not see an issue, driving to the rim multiple times, creating contact, and going up strong with his power layups.

The Golden Lions then began to fight back with a crafty style of play. Running the point guard position, Williams would cause trouble for the Tigers by getting in the paint with a ball fake to open the middle up and find Parchman in the dunker for a two-hand jam.

The defense would be a crucial factor in the Golden Lions’ comeback. Morris jumped into the passing lane using his athleticism, extending his arm for a deflection to go the other way for a breakaway reverse double-pump dunk, but it was not enough to close the gap. Arkansas-Pine Bluff would fall to Jackson State 60-47.

“We have to do a better job of boxing out. We can’t allow 16 offensive rebounds,” said UAPB head coach Solomon Bozeman about how the team could’ve executed better in crashing the boards.

The Golden Lions will get on the road to Montgomery, Alabama, to take on Alabama State in doubleheader action on Saturday. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 4:30 p.m.