PINE BLUFF, Ark. – The Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers ended a four-game losing streak Saturday as they claimed a 70-66 win on the road at Arkansas–Pine Bluff.
At H.O. Clemmons Arena,
Lamaria Cole (pictured) scored a game-high 20 points to lead the three Lady Panthers scoring in double figures Saturday.
Tori Carter scored 14 points for Prairie View A&M, while
Lanikki McMillian came off the Lady Panthers bench to score 11 points.
Attirah Munir tallied the game's only double-double for the Lady Lions, scoring 16 points and pulling in 10 rebounds. Ajia Richardson scored 15 points for Arkansas–Pine Bluff.
With the win, the Lady Panthers (10-12) improved to 6-7 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play. The Lady Lions (7-18) saw their SWAC record fall to 4-10.
The Lady Panthers return to action Monday when they travel to Mississippi Valley State. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
HOW IT HAPPENED:The Lady Panthers overcame multiple-possession deficits in second and third quarters before pulling away from their hosts in the waning minutes of the contests. Pine Bluff took control of the game early as the Lady Lions outscored PVAMU 11-2 over the final six minutes of the first quarter to take a 17-11 lead.
After trailing by as many as nine points in the second quarter, the Lady Panthers roared back with an 11-1 run between the period's 4:25 and one-minute marks to briefly reclaim a 27-26 lead. McMillian scored five points and
Taylor Overshown scored her only four points of the game during that stretch. Pine Bluff took a 30-27 lead into halftime.
The Lady Lions would again stretch their lead to seven in third quarter, as Munir's layup with 6:43 remaining in the period gave the home team a 40-33 lead. But before Pine Bluff could get comfortable, the Lady Panthers stormed back with four baskets on four consecutive possessions to take a 41-40 lead with 3:54 remaining. PVAMU forced three turnovers during the 8-0 run.
The eight consecutive points by the Lady Panthers was part of a 15-2 PVAMU run that was capped by a pair of free throws by Carter with 1:48 left in the quarter. The Lady Panthers shot 6-of-9 from the field during that stretch; Carter scored six points during the run while Cole scored five points, including the 3-pointer with 2:49 remaining to give PVAMU a 44-42 lead.
Pine Bluff finished the third quarter with a 5-0 run and then scored the opening basket of the fourth quarter to take a 50-49 lead. The teams would exchange baskets for most of the final period, a quarter that saw four ties and four lead changes. Carter gave PVAMU its first two-possession lead of the frame on jumper that stretched the visitors' advantage to 62-58 with 2:21 left in the game.
UAPB's Destiny Brewton hit only one out of two free throws on the Lady Lions' next possession. On PVAMU's ensuing possession – one that was extended with a Pine Bluff foul – Parker pushed the Prairie View A&M lead to 64-59 with a tip-in off Cole's miss with 1:27 left to play.
Pine Bluff had chance to tie the game in the final minute trailing by three points, but an offensive foul gave the ball to the Lady Panthers.
Larissa Scott hit a pair of free throws with 35 seconds remaining to push the visitors' lead back to five points. PVAMU, which entered the game eighth in the conference in free throw shooting, made all six free throws it took in the final minute.
GAME NOTES: 