GRAMBLING, LA – The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff men's basketball dropped a tough rivalry matchup against Grambling State with a final score of 76-65 on Monday night at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Arena.
Showing off how consistent he is, Dequan Morris posted his third straight 20-point game with 22 points, going 9-for-12 from the field along with three rebounds and a steal.
The stretch forward, Trey Sampson, played well to finish with 15 points, shooting the ball at a solid 60 percent from the field. Sampson also blocked two shots on the night.
From the tip, the game would be highly intense on both ends of the floor for the Golden Lions. Morris's wide-open three-pointer on the right-wing got things rolling early for UAPB.
Shawn Williams would return the same treatment with a highly-contested pull-up jumper from the wing with an early answer back to GSU.
Eight possessions would keep both teams in the same scoring boat, tying things up at nine early.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff would go on a 6-0 scoring run with a layup from Brahm Harris, a Kylen Milton layup over three Grambling jerseys, and a strong drive from Travonta Doolittle, getting physical in the paint to add another pair on the board for the Golden Lions.
UAPB's well-executed offense caused Grambling State to go to the bench to make substitutions. Still, it made no difference to the Golden Lions as Williams instantly stole the basketball for an alley-oop to Morris, who took off from outside of the lane to get fans on the edge of their seats.
The Golden Lions' impeccable first-half energy and execution gained them a nine-point lead going into halftime with a score of 39-30.
In a hostile environment, the Golden Lions would adjust quickly to show the city of Grambling what they were capable of. Driving down the middle of the lane, Sampson took flight from the middle of the paint for a tomahawk slam to change the vibe inside of Fredrick C. Hobdy Arena.
It seemed as, after the slam dunk, Sampson entered takeover mode, scoring six straight points and allowing his energy to wear off on his teammates.
Following a GSU layup, Williams made a clever play to push the basketball up the floor while the Grambling State players celebrated the made bucket, leaving only one Tiger jersey back on defense with Omar Parchman in the dunker causing the defender to make a decision. Williams lobbed the ball to Parchman for a two-hand jam, gaining a seven-point lead, 49-42.
Grambling State began to cut the deficit, making it a close game, but Sampson continued to takeover. Brandon Brown drove the ball downhill, getting into the paint to lob the ball to Sampson in the dunker, putting a GSU defender on a poster to draw a foul with continuation.
Grambling State went on an 8-0 run late in the second half to gain the lead over the Golden Lions and seal their win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 76-65.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Golden Lions will return to the lab to prepare to match up against Mississippi Valley State on Saturday. The game will be played in Itta Bena, Mississippi, at the Harrison HPER Complex and is scheduled to tip-off at 4:30 p.m.
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