Another University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff basketball player has announced her plans to enter the transfer portal.
Senior center Maya Peat announced her departure on X, formerly Twitter, around lunchtime Tuesday.
“I am immensely grateful to Coach [Dawn] Thornton and the entire UAPB women’s basketball staff for their guidance and support during the past four years playing here at Pine Bluff,” Peat’s post read, in part. “With much love and deep appreciation, I give thanks to UAPB and the Pine Bluff community, whose warmth and embrace have gifted me a sense of belonging, 1,400 miles away from home.”
Peat was the team’s third-leading scorer this season with 10.5 points per game and the second-leading rebounder with 6.4 per game. She was named second team all-SWAC this season. She scored a career-high 22 points on Dec. 31, 2023, in a road win at McNeese State.
The Chandler, Arizona, native signed with UAPB out of high school, making her debut in the 2020-21 season as a true freshman. She played the past four seasons for the Lady Lions and has one season of eligibility remaining.
She is the latest of several Lady Lions to enter the transfer portal over the past two weeks. UAPB is also losing guards Coriah Beck, Demetria Shephard and Jelissa Reese. Peat’s addition to that list means four of UAPB’s top five scorers this season are in the portal. Leading scorer Zaay Green announced plans to return to UAPB next season following the team’s final game in the SWAC tournament.
UAPB told the Commercial the departing players are set to graduate and are seeking opportunities to earn master’s degrees elsewhere.