HOUSTON- Malcolm Riley scored 22 points and grabbed 9 rebounds as Texas Southern rallied in the second half to defeat the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions 56-50 on Saturday night at the HPE Arena.
Texas Southern jumped out to an early 12-3 lead on a 3-pointer from Riley with 12:42 to play in the first half. The Golden Lions rallied to take the lead late in the first half 25-24 on a dunk by Trent Whiting.
Whiting, who led the Golden Lions with 14 points paced UAPB offensively until Tigers Head Coach Mike Davis made a key substitution, inserting forward Nick Shepard to guard the 6-6 forward.
Shepard's defensive effort was a key factor in holding Whiting scoreless for the remainder of the night and turning the momentum of the game in the Tigers favor.
The game was tight heading into the final minutes with the lead changing hands ten times throughout the night. Texas Southern would eventually put the game out of reach and secure the win with Riley and Madarious Gibbs both hitting key free throws with under a minute to play.
The Tigers outrebounded Arkansas-Pine Bluff 44-28 and shot 24-of-36 from the free throw line. David Blanks put forth a solid effort for the Tigers, totaling 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assist.
Texas Southern will take on Mississippi Valley State on Monday night, as they look to continue building momentum heading into the SWAC tournament in March.
