UAPB men beat Southern to create tie for SWAC lead

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas  — For the first time in a long time, the Southern men’s basketball team has company atop the Southwestern Athletic Conference standings.

Surging Arkansas-Pine Bluff got the best of the Jaguars in a 55-52 victory Saturday night at H.O. Clemmons Arena, scoring its seventh win in eight games while handing SU its second loss in four.
The win bumped the Golden Lions (11-13, 10-2) into a tie with Southern (16-8, 10-2) for the SWAC’s top spot.

After winning its first four SWAC away games by double figures, Southern, which started league action 8-0 after upsetting Texas A&M late in nonconference play, has now lost two in a row on the road.

“We were a timid ball club, looking around and not attacking,” SU coach Roman Banks said. “They’re playing not to lose instead of playing to win.”

As in the 61-57 loss at Alcorn State late last month, when LeAntwan Luckett ripped off 27 points, Southern ran into an opposing shooter with a hot hand. This time, it was UAPB senior Lazabian Jackson, whose game-high 20 points included six 3-pointers. It marked Jackson’s third straight 20-point effort.

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