Preview: Arkansas-Pine Bluff Lady Golden Lions at Grambling Lady Tigers

GRAMBLING, La. (Interstat) — Two Southwestern Athletic Conference women’s basketball teams seeking momentum will meet Thursday when the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Lady Golden Lions visit the Grambling Lady Tigers at Fredrick Hobdy Assembly Center.

Both teams enter the contest on the heels of lopsided results in their most recent outings, but with opposite outcomes. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (6-10, 3-1 SWAC) is coming off a 63-53 home victory over Florida A&M on Saturday. Grambling (5-13, 1-3) suffered a 60-43 home loss to rival Southern the same day.

The Lady Golden Lions have found a rhythm in conference play, winning three of their last four SWAC games. Guard Jailah Pelly has been instrumental, averaging 16.5 points over that four-game stretch. She is coming off a season-high 23-point performance against Florida A&M, adding two assists and two blocks in 36 minutes. Support has come from Jasmine Davis and Khaniah Gardner, who combined for 28 points in the win.

Grambling’s conference start has been more challenging, with the Lady Tigers dropping three of four. Their offense has struggled, failing to reach 60 points in three of those games. Guard Shaniah Nunn has been a bright spot, averaging 17.2 points over her last five contests. She scored 16 in the loss to Southern and had a 20-point outing in a road win over Bethune-Cookman on Jan. 10.

Historically, the series has been competitive, adding intrigue to this matchup between teams with nearly identical overall records. Arkansas-Pine Bluff will look to capitalize on its recent defensive form, which held three of its last four SWAC opponents under 55 points. Grambling will need to generate more consistent scoring beyond Nunn to improve its standing in the league.

The game is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. CST tip-off on Jan. 22. Following this contest, Arkansas-Pine Bluff travels to face Southern on Saturday, while Grambling hosts Mississippi Valley State.