UAPB heads to Little Rock to face Alcorn State

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas -- Arkansas-Pine Bluff has entered halftime with a lead in each of its last two games; the Golden Lions haven’t won either time.

In fact the 1-3 team has been within seven points at the midway point of each of its games. The reason UAPB hasn’t been able to turn those solid first half into victories has been frankly horrendous third quarters throughout the season.

Week 1 a 7-0 lead for South Carolina State at the break turned into a 28-7 lead entering the fourth quarter. Week 3 saw UAPB let a 13-7 halftime lead become a 24-20 fourth-quarter deficit. Last week the Lions were up 9-7 after 30 minutes but another poor 15 minute-span allowed Alabama A&M to turn the game around with a 21-point third period.

“We were flat for whatever reason (coming out of halftime against A&M),” Lions head coach Monte Coleman said earlier this week. “That’s kind of been the Achilles’ heel for us this season. The third quarter has kind of hindered us from putting up points or stopping opposing teams.”

All told, UAPB has been outscored 59-14 in the four third quarters it has played this season.

“We’ve gone back to the drawing board to see what it’s going to take for us to play better football in the third quarter,” Coleman said. “And we will come up with a solution to play better in the third quarter.”



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