PINE BLUFF – Junior Trent Steen scored 24 points, scoring a season high in his career in a Golden Lion uniform, leading the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff men’s basketball team to a 105-91 victory over Mississippi Valley Delta Devils in a conference opener matinee at the H.O. Clemmons Arena on Monday night.

Steen scored five of his 24 points before the break, being that he was one rebound shy of having his first double-double.  Steen also finished with two assists and three steals.  Also the Golden Lions are off to a good start in conference play after coming off a brutal non-conference schedule to improve to 2-13 and 1-0 in SWAC play.

JoeRandle Tolliver added 18 points and five assists, while sophomore Charles Jackson added 14 points, and then knocked down 3-of-4 from behind the arch. Senior Jaquan Lynch chipped in 13 points, six steals and three assists and Kennedy McKinneyto round out the Golden Lions in double figures with 10 points.

UAPB was just down 44-41 at the half, but finally shook the Delta Devils (0-14, 0-1 SWAC) late in the second half.  In the last five minutes of the game the Golden Lions went on a 28-14 run, punctuated by a monster dunk by Kennedy McKinney gave the hosts a 93-80 margin with 1:58 left in the game.

The Delta Devils fought back to keep the game close, but the game plan by UAPB was too much for Mississippi Valley St.

UAPB shot a crisp 63.8% from the field, as the Golden Lions limited Mississippi Valley to just 56.6% shooting in the game, the Golden Lions got 38 points from the bench compared to Valley 28 points.

Issac Williams paced the visitors with 23 points. Darrell Riley added 14.

The Golden Lions return to action on Saturday Jan. 7, 2017, when they host Alabama State at the H.O. Clemmons Arena beginning at 5 p.m., followed by the men’s game in Community Appreciation Night.  All Fans admitted for $5.00.

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The 2016 Southwestern Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer Tournament will take place November 3-6 in Prairie View, Texas on the campus of Prairie View A&M. The Tournament’s return to a campus site is the first of its kind since UAPB hosted in 2010.

UAPB was led in scoring this season by sophomore Karissa Fenwick, who had 10 goals scored and two assists. Junior Cierra Fenwick had seven goals and an assist.

Last year, Howard University defended its tournament crown with a 2-1 win over Alabama State.  The Bison now have their eyes set on winning its third straight as they enter this week’s tournament as the No.1 seed facing No. 8 Southern.  Texas Southern earned the No. 2 spot and will play No. 7 Prairie View A&M.  No. 3 Alabama State and No. 6 Jackson State will also battle in quarter-final action.

Six schools have won the soccer tournament championship since its inception (Alabama A&M, Jackson State, Grambling State, Howard, Mississippi Valley State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff).

The winner of the tournament will advance to the NCAA Tournament in San Jose, Calif.

Here’s a look at the SWAC Tournament BRACKET.

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PINE BLUFF – The Trojan soccer team earned its third consecutive win on Tuesday afternoon, defeating UAPB 6-2 at Pumphrey Stadium.

Caitlyn Eddy got the Trojans going with a goal in the 21st minute. With multiple players for both teams scrambling for the ball in the penalty area, Doro Greulich notched the ball back to Eddy who tucked it underneath the goalie for a 1-0 lead.

Jaclyn Purvine scored next for her first time this season, taking a pass on the right side from Quin Wilkes. Purvine looped the ball over the UAPB goalkeeper in the 37th minute to make it a 2-0 Trojan lead.

Fresh off the bench after halftime, Madison Bingham got the first goal of her college career. With Harrison Hayworth on the ball, a UAPB defender tackled it away from her. But the ball slid right to Bingham, who rocketed a low shot straight into the back of the net to make it a 3-0 Trojan lead.

Purvine got her second goal seven minutes later, this one on a penalty kick after a UAPB defender used her hands in the penalty box. And Purvine notched an assist on a Fali Garuba goal in the 60th minute, passing the ball to an open Garuba in the middle of the box.

Quin Wilkes capped the Trojan scoring with a shot from distance in the 72nd minute.

Little Rock stays on the road for its next game when it takes on Texas A&M on the SEC Network+. The game will be play Friday at 7:30 p.m.

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Arkansas-Pine Bluff is counting on a host of newcomers to contribute as it seeks to escape the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s Western Division basement.

With only 12 returning starters (6 offense, 4 defense, 2 specialists), the Golden Lions are the league’s least experienced team.

Entering his 10th season, coach Monte Coleman is the SWAC’s longest-tenured head coach. Coleman is working to right the ship as UAPB has struggled to a 7-27 mark since winning the conference championship in 2012.

First-year offensive coordinator Ted White has implemented the spread in an effort to boost a stagnant offense which ranked ninth in the SWAC in scoring (19.5 points per game), eighth in rushing (130.4 ypg), seventh in passing (186.6 ypg), eighth in total offense (317 ypg) and dead last among 10 teams in third down conversions (26.5 percent).

Brandon Duncan, Marcus Terrell and Nolan Sorenson all saw significant time at quarterback last season. Duncan, who started the final four games, was the most effective of the lot. Seeing action in eight games, Duncan completed 80-of-149 passes for 1,027 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions.

Terrell passed for 557 yards and three TDs, but eight of his 106 passes resulted in picks. On a positive note, he was the most effective runner of the three, producing 170 yards and a touchdown in five games.

Sorenson completed just 38-of-102 passes for 479 yards in six outings with a 5-1 interceptions to touchdowns ratio.

KeShawn Williams, a hometown product from Dollarway High School, is the top returning running back. Appearing in seven games, Williams averaged 7 yards per carry while generating 301 yards and three scores.

Willie Young (50 receptions, 597 yards, 3 TDs) and John Hawkins (30-482-4) should benefit from the new offense after ranking 1-2 on the squad in receiving.

David Adams anchors an offensive line which is looking for more push after the Golden Lions averaged just 3.6 yards per carry.

Linebacker Willie Duncan III, the Golden Lions’ lone first-team All-SWAC representative, was one of the few bright spots on the defensive side of the ball.

UAPB gave up 38.5 points per outing (9th in the SWAC), 181.1 yards rushing (6th), 248.9 yards passing (8th) and 430 total yards (7th).

Duncan (118 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack) is accompanied by Rashad Boyd (39 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack), Je’Kevin Carter (45 tackles, 4.5 TFL) and LaFarrell Franklin (42 tackles, 3.5 TFL) in a deep linebacker contingent.

Coleman, who doubles as defensive coordinator, is looking for replacements for seven starters, including end Jontrel Lockett (62 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 6 sacks).

Neville product Nicholas Stroud (23 tackles, 6 TFL, 3 sacks) is a fixture up front. Like Stroud, Cam Willis is coming off of an impressive spring.

David White (39 tackles, 4 pass breakups) is the veteran of an otherwise untested secondary.

Jamie Gillan and Matthew Guth remain in charge of the kicking game. Gillan was successful on 8-of-12 field goal tries, but was only 3-of-6 from beyond the 30, while punting on 13 occasions for a 38.4-yard average. Called upon 61 times, Guth accounted for a 34.4-yard punting average.

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Arkansas-Pine Bluff is predicted to finish right in the middle of the pack.

The Golden Lions were picked sixth in the poll voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.

Howard topped the poll.

2016 SWAC Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Howard
2. Mississippi Valley State
3. Alabama State
4. Jackson State
5. Prairie View A&M
6. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
7. Texas Southern
8. Alabama A&M
9. Southern
10. Grambling
11. Alcorn State

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