LORMAN — Big runs of unanswered scores are generally reserved for basketball. They’re not uncommon in football in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, either.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff scored the game’s last 12 points, then came up with a goal line stand in the final minute to beat Alcorn State on Thursday night at Jack Spinks Stadium, 39-35.

The Braves (3-4, 2-3 SWAC) got to the UAPB 5 on the legs and arm of quarterback Brandon Bridge. He had scrambles of 32 and 20 yards to get the Braves to the 20 in the final two minutes, then hit Edward Johnson for a 17-yard gain to the 3. Alcorn tried to grind out the score, but a false start penalty backed them up five yards.

Two incomplete passes and a short run by Bridges left the Braves with fourth-and-goal from the 5. Bridges tried a quick, lofting throw to Ryan Singleton, but UAPB’s James Harrell broke it up.

“It came down to too many mistakes,” Alcorn coach Earnest Collins said. “We had them on special teams and on offense. We’ve lost four in a row, but the last three have been by 10, 10 and now four points. We’re in the game. It’s not schematic. We just need better execution like not dropping a kickoff and getting pinned at the 2.”

The loss spoiled a big game from Bridge, who finished with 142 yards and two touchdowns rushing and was 17-of-39 passing for 271 yards and two TDs. He was, however, picked off three times. The last one set up Chris Ewald’s 42-yard field goal that gave UAPB (4-3, 3-2) a 39-35 lead with 3:51 left. Because of the kick, the Braves had to score a touchdown to win.

“We felt they would either throw a fade or something quick,” UAPB linebacker Jeremy Morrow said of the Braves’ last play.

The Lions were down 35-27 early in the fourth quarter after being up 27-7 at one point in the first half. Bridge led Alcorn on four consecutive scoring drives, throwing a pair of TD passes to Johnson in the third quarter to put the Braves ahead 28-27 with 8:12 left. Johnson finished with six receptions for 138 yards.

After the defense forced another UAPB punt, Bridge and Johnson went back to work. The pair hooked up for a 42-yard gain to the Lions 27. The Braves worked the ball down to the 1-yard line, where Bridge scored on an option keeper and Arturo Tamayo’s PAT made it 35-27 with 56 seconds left in the third quarter.

Ewald’s 49-yard field goal cut UAPB’s deficit to five points early in the fourth, and Stephen Jones scored on a 10-yard run with 7:03 remaining to put the Lions back in front.

Running back Adrian Moore rushed for 88 yards and three touchdowns for Pine Bluff. All of his scores — on runs of 3, 9 and 2 yards — came during a nine-minute span of the first half.

After Bridge scored on a 1-yard run to give Alcorn a 7-0 lead, Pine Bluff ripped off 27 straight points to take a commanding lead. One of Bridge’s interceptions was returned inside the 10-yard line and set up Moore’s second touchdown, while another pick was returned 84 yards for a score by Harrell to give the Lions a 27-7 lead with 6:08 to play in the first half.

Harrell finished the game with five solo tackles and two interceptions.

Alcorn finally stopped the bleeding and cut it to 27-14 at halftime on Gabriel Nash’s short touchdown run with less than two minutes to play. Bridge then threw TD passes of 7 and 31 yards to Johnson, and his second rushing touchdown of the game completed the Braves’ comeback and gave them their short-lived 35-27 lead.