UAPB Golden Lions Moving on Without Townsend

A second opinion from a Pine Bluff doctor provided the best of both worlds for Arkansas-Pine Bluff guard Savalace Townsend. The sophomore broke his right hand in a Feb. 8 game against Alabama State and an initial prognosis recommended season-ending surgery. He spent the next week pondering his next move — play with a broken bone in his shooting hand or check out of a season that still could end in a Southwestern Athletic Conference championship for UAPB.

UAPB 6-1/160 guard Savalace Townsend (#23) had successful hand surgery yesterday and is expected to return to play before the SWAC Tournament. The former Long Beach, Mississippi (Long Beach High School) star is averaging 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” he said Thursday. A day later, his decision was made a bit easier. Townsend had surgery on his hand in Pine Bluff Friday, but coach George Ivory said the recovery time is not expected to take up the rest of the season. The coach said he won’t be available for either game this weekend — UAPB (10-14, 10-3) hosts Prairie View A&M (13-10, 8-4) at 7:30 tonight — but the Golden Lions’ second-leading scorer is expected to return for the regular-season finale against Mississippi Valley State March 4. Hearing that news Friday, Ivory said, made the decision to have surgery easier for Townsend.

“I think when he realized he could play and come back and help the team, that was good for him,” Ivory said. “He had surgery and came back (during practice) and he’s doing well.” A day earlier, Townsend said he was struggling with the decision. At that time, though, he had only seen one doctor, and had been told surgery was required and that the procedure would make it so he missed the final five games, the SWAC Tournament and whatever games UAPB played after that. “I wasn’t having any of that,” Townsend said.

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