Arkansas Online

UAPB women beat rival 69-50, run winning streak to 3 games

I.C. MURRELL

Maya Peat has stacked another double-double, and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is stacking wins in women’s basketball.

Peat totaled 18 points and 13 rebounds, leading the Lady Lions to their third straight win, 69-50 over archrival Mississippi Valley State University on Saturday at H.O. Clemmons Arena. The win gave the Lady Lions a sweep of their homestand, as they head into an open date Monday.

“Honestly, I put it in my mind that I was going to go out and dominate today and that’s what I did,” Peat said.

The Arizona native was 1 point shy of her career high set Jan. 7 against Texas Southern University, and 1 rebound away from a career mark set against Alabama State on Jan. 4.

“I think Maya definitely has something to prove,” Lady Lions Coach Dawn Thornton said. “She’s playing with a chip on her shoulder. She’s definitely locked in and focused and trying her best to carry this team. Twenty-five minutes and having 18 points and 13 rebounds, no coach would be more pleased.”

Coriah Beck scored 15 points and Jelissa Reese scored 13 for the Lady Lions (7-12, 5-4 SWAC), who shot 45% (27 of 60) from the field despite a 46.4% free-throw showing (13 of 28). Reese totaled 7 assists and 4 steals, and UAPB made 2 of 5 3-point baskets.

“Reese is always our spark defensively,” Thornton said. “Coriah is that smooth icing on the cake. They play well together. They spend a lot of time off the court, so they’re able to get an idea of the flow of the game.”

Maori Davenport, who has come off the bench to spell Peat in recent games, had 9 points and 4 rebounds.

Valley (2-18, 0-9) started out much stronger than a 2-win team, racing to a 17-13 lead through the first quarter and trailing 29-27 at the break. Lexus Eagle Chasing scored 16 points and pulled down 6 rebounds, and Zaria Harleaux charted 10 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists for the Devilettes.

“When we came into this game, we knew Mississippi Valley was going to play hard,” Peat said. “It was up to us to play together and execute our game plan. I feel like the second half, we came in and did what we needed to do.”

Defense boosted UAPB as well. The Lady Lions went on a 17-0 spurt over 6 minutes of the third quarter and led by as many as 17 points.

UAPB will return to action next Saturday against Alcorn State University. Tipoff in Lorman, Miss., is 2 p.m.

“We’re peaking at the right time,” Thornton said. “We were still a brandnew team learning to play together earlier this year. Anytime you have 11 new players and trying to get a rotation right and a feel together, I think that’s one thing they understand now, the flow of the game.”

APPAREL WATCH

UAPB’s staff typically dresses differently from the normal dress or polo-style wear of other coaches. Saturday, Thornton wore a sparkly T-shirt representing Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, as the game was themed Greek Night.

Assistants Nicole Mealing, Briona Brown and Nate Bell wore basketball, softball and baseball jerseys.

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2023-01-29T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-01-29T08:00:00.0000000Z

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