UAPB staves off SU rally

When the final horn sounded Saturday night, members of the Southern men’s basketball team shuffled off the floor inside the F.G. Clark Activity Center, shaking their heads as they disappeared into the home locker room.

The Jaguars, trying desperately to keep their winning streak alive, took a six-point lead into halftime against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Early in the second half, the Jaguars went ice-cold.

Then they stormed back. In the end, however, the winning streak died, and UAPB left with a hard-earned 64-58 victory.

In a season of comebacks, Southern had simply fallen too far behind. The short-handed, worn-out Jaguars missed 17 of their first 20 shots to begin the second half, and the Golden Lions took advantage.

What happened?

“You know, I really can’t say,” first-year coach Roman Banks said. “We were just a very flat basketball team. I just don’t think we played with the sense of urgency that we need, in order for us to be successful.”

It certainly seemed that way after halftime.

SU came into Saturday’s game on a five-game winning streak, with back-to-back road wins at Grambling and Jackson State. Early on against UAPB, the Jaguars gave themselves a chance to make it six in a row. They held the Lions to 25-percent shooting and led 30-24 at the break.

But when the second half began, SU seemed to fall apart, going 3-for-20 in the first 12 minutes.

UAPB, meanwhile, warmed up, outscoring Southern 28-7 to turn a seesaw game into a 15-point lead with 8:28 remaining. The Jaguars were just about out of chances.

That’s when they made a furious charge — led, in large part, by Derick Beltran.

Southern came out of a timeout with a trapping and pressing defense that forced missed shots, bad passes and even a 10-second backcourt violation.

Meanwhile, Beltran caught fire, hitting three consecutive 3-pointers, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

The Jaguars went on a 13-2 run and closed to within two points, 52-50.

“Beltran got going there for a minute. I said to myself, ‘Man, this is déjà vu, just like up in Pine Bluff,’” said UAPB coach George Ivory, whose team lost at home to Southern on Jan. 14, 69-68, when Beltran drained a 3-pointer with four seconds remaining.

Saturday night, however, UAPB answered with another 3-pointer by Lazabian Jackson, and although Southern challenged the Lions the rest of the way, it couldn’t close the gap.

The Jaguars trailed by three points, 58-55, when point guard Jameel Grace missed a layup with less than a minute left. Shortly thereafter, SU had a chance to grab two loose balls, but UAPB came up with both of them, helping to seal the win.

“We usually win that area,” Banks said, referring to the loose balls. “I really think that with some guys playing 38 or 40 minutes, the energy level was down late in the basketball game.”

Beltran scored 22 points, including four 3-pointers, but had to leave the game with 19 seconds remaining because of severe leg cramps.

He needed help from a teammate and a trainer to leave the locker room after Saturday’s game.

Quinton Doggett had 18 points and 11 rebounds for Southern, which lost despite having a 44-38 advantage in rebounds.

Grace had 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Beltran and Grace both played 38 minutes. Doggett played all 40.

“I knew Jameel needed a break, but who can I give him a break with? Derick started cramping up, and he couldn’t go,” Banks said. “But he fought tough enough.”

Southern (13-12, 9-3 Southwestern Athletic Conference) remained in second place despite the loss, but fell farther behind Mississippi Valley State, which has won all 12 conference games heading into Monday’s showdown in the Activity Center.

“I thought it was an outstanding game,” Ivory said. “Coach Banks is doing a great job with Southern, and I think it was a good game for the crowd.”

UAPB prevailed in part by going 23-for-31 from the free-throw line. Southern was 8-for-13.

Mitchell Anderson had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Golden Lions (6-19, 5-7), who have won four straight games.

“I think the whole team is jelling pretty good right now,” Ivory said.