UAPB Men’s Hoops Drop Heartbreaker on the road against Alabama A&M

HUNTSVILLE, AL – In a hard-fought battle, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff men’s basketball dropped a close game on the road to Alabama A&M with a final score of 74-69 on Monday night at Elmore Gymnasium.

Shawn Williams led the Golden Lions with an impressive 28 points and added three rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

Dequan Morris posted another double-figure game with 15 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.

Kylen Milton added 10 points and three rebounds.

Alabama A&M would jump out to a 19-9 lead over the Golden Lions halfway through the first half from a 6-0 scoring lead. A Williams three-pointer from the wing would end the A&M run, followed by a pull-up jumper from the midpoint to generate some well-needed energy for Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

With active hands on defense, Milton deflected the ball and picked it up to go on a fastbreak, creating contact and tossing the ball in the air on a wild shot and getting the blessing of continuation and sinking the free throw for the four-point play to gain their first lead of the game, 20-19.

With things becoming very tight, UAPB head coach Solomon Bozeman emphasized being patient with the basketball when on offense and taking the opportunity when it presents itself. With the ball in Morris’ possession, Omar Parchman sealed an Alabama A&M defender in the post to make himself available for the ball. Drop stepping towards the basket, Parchman caught a massive body under the rim to hush the hostile crowd.

As the clock ticked before halftime, the Golden Lions began to put the ball in motion, swinging it around the perimeter until the ball landed in Milton’s hands, causing him to rip through and drive baseline, finishing high above the rim to close out the half trailing AAMU by three, 30-27.

Keeping the same first-half energy, Williams caught fire early in the second half, knocking down three quick deep three-pointers to bounce back and forth with the lead over AAMU.

When the energy got going for the Golden Lions, things became a lot more consistent offensively, allowing the same offensive effort to reflect on the defensive end of the floor.

Alabama A&M’s Jalen Johnson attempted to pass the ball to the backcourt from the post, and as the player caught the ball and came down with it, Williams stripped the ball to go the other way. With Morris getting ahead of the ball, Williams passed it to Morris, who would get his head at the rim to throw it down.

In a hostile environment, the Golden Lions did a great job of keeping their composure and staying focused, but when it was time to make big plays, they would capitalize and do so. From an AJ Stredic steal, K’Shun Stokes gained control of the ball to pass ahead to Milton, who took off and put the ball behind his head before punching it into the rim. Catching the ball from the net, Milton placed the ball in front of the hostile crowd before getting back on defense.

Alabama A&M would then retake the lead in the final seconds causing Arkansas-Pine Bluff to fall, 74-69.

On Saturday, the Golden Lions will return home to H.O. Clemmons Arena for a rematch against the Prairie View A&M Panthers in doubleheader action at 5:30 p.m. The theme for the marquee matchup is Blackout.