College Park, Georgia — The Alcorn Women’s Basketball team, seeded second in the SWAC tournament, will take on seventh-seeded Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the quarterfinals Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. EST at The Gateway Center. The game marks a rematch of their regular-season meeting, which UAPB won 66-61.
Alcorn enters the tournament with a 17-12 record and its highest seed in two decades, according to the team. The Braves have won four of their last five games but lost both matchups against UAPB this season. Nakia Cheatham, who was named SWAC Defensive Player of the Year, leads Alcorn with over 1,000 career points and averages 13 points per game. Maya Hunkin-Claytor set a school record with 71 three-pointers made this season.
UAPB, with a 14-15 record, is on an eight-win streak in its last 10 games. Indiya Bowen leads the Golden Lions with 14.9 points per game and is a top scorer in the conference. Jailah Pelly and Khaniah Gardner also contribute significantly, with Gardner shooting 54.5 percent from the field overall.
The teams met twice this season, with UAPB winning both times. The last game, played March 5 in Lorman, saw UAPB build a double-digit lead before Alcorn mounted a late rally. UAPB’s Bowen scored 26 points to lead all scorers, while Pelly added 15.
Alcorn’s previous SWAC tournament victory over UAPB occurred on March 12, 2013, when UAPB was led by head coach Nate Kilbert, now at the helm of the Golden Lions. The all-time series favors Alcorn 17-15 since 2011, but UAPB has won the last two meetings this season.
The winner advances to the SWAC semifinals, with the game available to watch on ESPN+ and listen to on WPRL-FM 91.7. Fans can follow updates on Alcorn’s social media channels, including @BravesSports on X/Twitter and @AlcornSports on Instagram.
