PINE BLUFF, Ark. -- Arkansas-Pine Bluff had all the ingredients to defeat the defending SWAC regular season champion Mississippi Valley State Devilettes Wednesday night. 

UAPB forced MVSU to commit a season-high in turnovers (29) and limited the Devilettes' leading scorer, Alia Frank, to just nine points. But Valley (4-8, 1-0 SWAC) withstood its shortcomings and defeated the Golden Lions 71-64 at H.O. Clemmons Arena in its first conference game of the season.  

Lenise Stallings, who led all scorers with 15 points, made some key free throws down the stretch to seal the victory for Valley over its former coach Nate Kilbert and company. 

UAPB (4-7, 0-1 SWAC) cut the lead to 52-48 with just over 5 minutes left and made a run at the Devilettes late in the game but couldn't get over the hump. 

Davina Jefferson had 12 points on 6-of-7 shots for Valley while Frank and Deirta Silas chipped in nine each. Silas scored five points -- including a 3-pointer from the corner -- with under four minutes to play to give Valley a 64-53 advantage. 

Four UAPB players scored in double-figures with Chigozianyi Okwumbua pacing the Golden Lions with 14 points and a game-high seven rebounds. Cassidy Wright added 12 points and seven boards while Lakendra Marsh and Asia Rhines-Malone each chipped in 10 points. 

The game was deadlocked at 26 at halftime before MVSU outscored UAPB 45-38 in the second half. 

The Devilettes shot 45.1 percent from the field and made 6-of-14 three pointers. Valley made 19-of-30 free throws (63.3 percent). Meanwhile, UAPB made only 31.3 percent of its shots including a dismal 4-of-22 from behind the arch. The Golden Lions, however, shot 90.9 percent from the charity stripe (20-of-22). 

MVSU will open its home conference schedule Sunday when they host Alabama A&M at 5:30 p.m.