Bulldogs Open SWAC Play with Victory over UAPB

THE HILL | The more things are, the more they stay the same.

The Alabama A&M University men’s basketball team had four players in double figures and got a clutch 3-pointer late by Bilal Abdur-Rahman as the Bulldogs ended a six-game losing streak with an 89-79 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday at the AAMU Event Center.

Alabama A&M (5-9 overall, 1-0 SWAC) have now won 10 straight over Arkansas-Pine Bluff dating back to the 2019 season. The Bulldogs used a strong first half, shooting nearly 47 percent from the floor and led by as many as 14 points in the second half before holding off the Golden Lions for the win.

Chad Moodie led the Bulldogs with 19 points, on 8-of-10 shooting, with nine rebounds, four steals, three assists and one block. Rahman registered 18 points, including 10 from the foul line, along with three assists and three steals. Lorenzo Downey matched his career high with 17 points, seven boards, one steal and one assist, while AC Bryant tossed in 15 points, six boards, two assists and one steal.

Doctor Bradley scored 17 of his game-high 30 points in the first half, along with eight rebounds, four steals and one blocked shot to pace Arkansas-Pine Bluff (3-11, 0-1). Caleb Jones tossed in 16 points, one board and one steal, while Dennis Asoro added 11 points, five boards and one steal

HOW IT HAPPENED
Alabama A&M raced out to a 9-4 advantage after a Moodie dunk with 17:49 remaining in the opening half. However, Arkansas-Pine Bluff answered with four straight points by Bradley, closing the gap to 9-8 with just over 17 minutes to play.

The Bulldogs responded with a 11-5 run over the next four minutes to take a 20-13 advantage with just under 13 minutes remaining and held UAPB without a field goal over a four-minute stretch as Alabama A&M extended its lead to 26-14 with 9:31 left.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff took advantage of Alabama A&M’s cold shooting spell as the Golden Lions used a 10-0 run over a two-plus minute stretch to grab a 29-28 lead after a Bradley layup with 4:13 remaining.

The Bulldogs answered with a 9-2 run to take a 37-31 lead after a Bilal Abdur-Rahman free throw with 2:50 left.

AAMU got free throws by Moodie and Downey in the final minute as the Bulldogs took a 41-34 advantage into the break.

Alabama A&M opened the second half strong, getting buckets by Moodie, Bryant and Seye as the Bulldogs pushed the lead to 47-36 with just over 18 minutes to play.

The Golden Lions continued to hang around as UAPB trimmed the margin to 58-51 after a Jones triple with 12:27 remaining.

Alabama A&M stretched the margin to 70-56 after a Moodie jumper with just over eight minutes left, but Arkansas-Pine Bluff continued to keep the game within reach, closing the gap to 74-68 after a Bradley jumper with 4:50 remaining.

The Bulldogs got five straight points from Rahman as AAMU extended the advantage to 79-68 with 2:57 left.

Just when UAPB closed the gap to 79-72, Rahman drained a long 3-pointer with 1:33 remaining and the Golden Lions could not recover.

GAME NOTES
Alabama A&M shot 49.2 percent (29-of-59) from the floor and 65.8 percent (25-of-38)
The Bulldogs grabbed 36 rebounds, with 21 coming off the defensive glass
Chad Moodie recorded 19 points, nine rebounds, four steals, three assists and one block
Bilal Abdur-Rahman registered 18 points, three assists and three steals
Lorenzo Downey matched his career high with 17 points, seven boards, one steal and one assist
AC Bryant tossed in 15 points, six boards, two assists and one steal
Alabama A&M finished with 44 bench points, 26 bench points, 20 points off 21 UAPB turnovers, 18 fastbreak points and 16 second-chance points

Arkansas-Pine Bluff went 26-of-58 shooting (44.8 percent) and 21-of-36 (58.3 percent) from the charity stripe
The Golden Lions grabbed 39 rebounds, with 17 coming off the offensive glass
Doctor Bradley scored 17 of his game-high 30 points in the first half, along with eight rebounds, four steals and one blocked shot
Caleb Jones tossed in 16 points, one board and one steal
Dennis Asoro added 11 points, five boards and one steal
Arkansas-Pine Bluff finished with 38 points in the paint, 22 bench points, 16 second-chance points, 13 points off 18 AAMU turnovers and six fastbreak points

UP NEXT
Alabama A&M closes out its two-game homestand on Monday when the Bulldogs play host to Mississippi Valley State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. from the AAMU Event Center and streamed on Bulldogs All-Access.

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