BIRMINGHAM, AL – With hopes to upset the SWAC, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women’s basketball team fell short in the end to the Jackson State Lady Tigers with a final score of 78-67 on Tuesday night at the Bartow Arena.
Zaay Green had an outstanding night for the Lady Lions, tallying a double-double of 21 points and 19 rebounds, followed by Joyce Kennerson’s aggressive 21 points to combine for 42 points with Green. Tyeisha Juhan added 14 points.
The Lady Lions’ plan was to have lots of energy and execute early on. Doing just that, an aggressive Kennerson penetration drive to the rim for a dropoff pass to Maya Peat helped Arkansas-Pine Bluff be the first to get on the board.
A Green three-pointer would establish that the Lady Lions were in the building and the Lions are kings of the jungle, in this case, queens of the jungle in the first quarter.
Jackson State then went on a 6-0 run to take a 29-20 lead over the Lady Lions before a solid drive to the basket, followed by a pass fake to finish at the rim by Green would end the run.
With the ball at the top of the key, Green began to work her magic. She would drive aggressively to the right before snatching the ball back between her legs and went into her favorite double crossover move to put the Jackson State defender in a blender to get past her. Getting to the basket, Green went up strong to draw a foul earn continuation, getting on her feet with tons of positive emotion.
Moments later, Juhan had the ball in her hands in the corner. Looking to shoot a three-pointer, a lane opened, and Juhan would read it well. Attacking the basket, she would elevate in the air for a floater to be fouled in mid-air, sinking the floater for an and-one.
Feeling it, Juhan didn’t only wait for the opportunities to present themselves, but she created the opportunity herself when the options weren’t there. Catching the ball on the right side, Juhan was face-guarded by a white jersey. Jabbing to see if her defender would bite off it, which she did, Juhan rose in front of the JSU defender to knock down a well-needed three-pointer to close out the first half down to Jackson State 42-37.
The Lady Tigers then took their five-point halftime lead and expanded it to double digits with a 10-2 on the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Green and Kennerson’s sense of urgency kicked in, which caused them both to activate takeover mode. Grabbing the rebound from a missed Ameysha Williams layup, Green went full coast-to-coast speed down the floor to make her way into the paint for a smooth stop-and-pop jump shot.
The Lady Lion defense caused Jackson State to miss a layup, giving Kennerson the signal to run the floor. Green would grab the rebound and look ahead with her excellent court vision, connecting with Kennerson for the fastbreak play.
The more Green found her way into the paint, the more ways she would find to score the basketball to make a remarkable comeback. Backing her way into the paint, she would do a fake turn for a Kobe Bryant-like turnover jumper to cut the Jackson State deficit.
After a split pair of free throws from Kennerson in crunch time, the Lady Lions were forced to turn their defensive pressure up a notch. Being at the right place on the floor at the right time, Juhan got on the floor and competed for a 50/50 ball, snatching the ball out of JSU’s hands to draw a foul.
Things would come down to the wire with one minute to go in the fourth quarter. Green would make her way to the bucket for a layup to trail by two points (69-67), but four fouls would allow JSU to make multiple trips to the line, resulting in Arkansas-Pine Bluff falling to Jackson State in the quarterfinal with a final score of 78-67.
“That Golden Lion team you saw on that floor has changed the culture,” said UAPB head coach Dawn Thornton about the impact her team has made in the court this season.
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