Box Score / Three Players recorded in double figures as the Alabama A&M men’s basketball team dropped its third straight SWAC game to Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 82-72 at Elmore Gym on Saturday. Casey Cantey was just shy of a double-double with a game-high 21 points and nine boards. Evan Hilton tallied a season-high 20 points behind 14-of-17 shooting from the foul line, as the team went 31-for-42 (88.5 percent). Cornelius Hester tallied 10 points in 29 minutes of action. The Bulldogs are back in action on Mon. Jan. 11 when they host Mississippi Valley. The game is slated for 7:30 p.m.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff started the contest with eight straight unanswered points. A jumper by Cantey at the 17:35 mark opened up scoring for the Bulldogs. The Golden Lions led by as many as 15 points, 28-13, at the 6:05 mark before a Cantey layup sparked an 11-1 run, capped by a Hilton triple to slice into the deficit, 29-24. UAPB held a slim 36-31 lead at the half, however.
As a team, A&M converted 11 Lion miscues into 13 points. Hilton led the Bulldogs at the half with 10 points on 2-of-2 shooting from behind the arc and a 4-of-5 performance from the stripe.
In the second half, the Bulldogs kept chipping away at the deficit, trailing 48-46 at the 15:26 mark. Unfortunately, A&M was unable to to tie it up or take the lead as the Lions walked away with its second straight conference victory. The loss drops the Bulldogs to 0-3 in the SWAC and 2-11 overall.
For UAPB, Terrance Calvin scored 20 points, including 12-of-13 behind the line. Savalance Townsend tallied 15. Lebaron Weathers and Tavaris Washington scored 14 and 11 points, respectively. The win improves Pine Bluff to 2-0 in the conference.
The Bulldogs host Mississippi Valley on Mon. Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m.