By: SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
PINE BLUFF, Ark. — A strong scoring night from Kintavious Dozier wasn’t enough to overcome a dominant second-half performance by Arkansas–Pine Bluff, as the Alabama A&M University men’s basketball team dropped its Southwestern Athletic Conference opener 95–83 on Saturday at H.O. Clemmons Arena.
Dozier led all Bulldogs with 26 points, shooting 8-of-16 from the floor while adding three assists. However, Alabama A&M (7-7, 0-1 SWAC) couldn’t recover after the Golden Lions caught fire after halftime, shooting 70.8 percent from the field in the second half to pull away.
The loss snapped Alabama A&M’s 10-game winning streak and marked Arkansas–Pine Bluff’s first win over the Bulldogs since 2019.
The game was tightly contested early. Alabama A&M jumped out to a 9-6 lead before Pine Bluff answered with an 8-3 run. The Bulldogs responded behind buckets from Dozier and PJ Eason, extending their advantage to 36-29 midway through the first half. Arkansas–Pine Bluff closed strong, though, finishing the half on a 12-5 run to send the game into the break tied at 41-41.
Arkansas–Pine Bluff (4-10, 1-0 SWAC) took control early in the second half with a 10-2 run, highlighted by a Milhan Charles dunk. Alabama A&M briefly cut the deficit to three, but the Golden Lions pushed the lead back to double digits behind strong inside play and efficient shooting.
Koron Davis added 17 points, while Eason recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Alabama A&M shot 48.3 percent from the floor and went 23-of-28 from the free-throw line, but defensive struggles in the second half proved costly.
Arkansas–Pine Bluff was led by Jaquan Scott’s 24 points, with Quion Williams adding 20.
Alabama A&M will look to rebound Monday when it travels to face Mississippi Valley State in Itta Bena, Mississippi.