Jaguars fall to Golden Lions: UAPB’s late run leads them to victory

This week Southern University faced the Golden Lions of Arkansas Pine-Bluff in Arkansas. The Jags were down most of the game until a spark flew and the Jags cut the Golden Lions.
With this energy, the Jags managed to tie the game up at 52 a piece. Then in a last-minute effort, the Golden Lions went on a 10-2 run against the Jags gaining them the lead and the win. “We definitely had our opportunities,” said Southern University Head Coach, Roman Banks. “It’s just so disappointing right now because we let one get away. We weren’t clean down the stretch.”
The Jags have been experiencing injuries from within their starting five.
Chris Thomas was the Jags’ sixth man who was recently promoted to starter a few games ago and has been fighting through an injury since the Alcorn game two weeks ago. After the Alcorn game, Chris Thomas was diagnosed with quad tendinitis but has still been starting and practicing. “I’m pretty good, just have to fight through it,” Chris Thomas said. “Just little minor pains. I’ll be good. Once I get going, I’m fine. I just have to stretch it out real good,” Thomas explains. Fans hope to see Thomas healthy and back on the court.
This game was an overall poor game on the offensive side of the ball for the Jags aside from the last chance break for the Jags. Leading scorer, Shawn Prudhomme, was 6-19 from the field and was forcing shots from the three-point line being 1-7 from beyond the arc.
Forward, Jared Sam, scored 16 points and went perfect from the field with 4-4 baskets and 8 for 10 on free throws. Sam also had seven rebounds and dished out one assist.
Thomas went 2-5 from the field and scored seven points. Southern’s bench players combined for ten points with majority of the points coming from forward, Emanual Shepard, with eight points.
As a team, Southern combined for a field goal percentage of 37.3 percent. They also only went 17.6 percent from behind the three points.
This game could have been a storybook ending for the Jags but they came up short. This game was lost due to injuries coming from the Jags’ starting five and the massive amount of turnovers with the team combining for 15 turnovers. All this and more caused the Jags to lose 61-68.
Hopefully next week against The Alabama A&M Golden Lions on February 18. The last time the Jaguars played Alabama A&M the Jags won by the skin of their teeth with the score being 53-52. This game will be played at home which is a great advantage for the Jags.
The Jags’ home record is 6-4 and Alabama’s away record is 5-10. The key player that Southern will have to worry about is Alabama’s 6’8 forward, Quitinarian McConico, who is averaging 14 points per game this season.