Participating in the SWAC Bowling Championship finals for the fourth straight year, head coach Glenn White was pretty familiar with what occurs prior to the match in terms of preparation. However, nothing could prepare White for what he endured throughout the 2012-13 season and in this year's SWAC Tournament as the Lady Panthers overcame a variety of obstacles to claim the program's second championship in school history.
Entering the 2013 season as the hunted was something the program never endured as they set out to defend their championship. As the hunted and ranked 17th nationally to open the year, White stressed to his team how other programs would perceive them and raise their level of play from the opening game this season. White's prediction was true as teams they normally took care of without trouble in the past bowled at a higher level against the Lady Panthers to prove they were also capable of winning a title.
Faced with several key losses entering the season which reduced White's roster down to only seven bowlers early on, the Lady Panthers had a grueling preseason as they fought though illness and injuries at times in their quest to bond as a team. The team persevered through the first half of play and had a solid second half which saw them defeat several nationally ranked teams in addition to having two bowlers named to the 2013 All-SWAC Bowling Team for their play during the SWAC Round-ups.
Before tournament play began on March 22, White was hit with a bout of news which foreshadowed what was to come as he was informed that his two All-SWAC bowlers in freshman anchor Ashle Reid and sophomore Sharita Turner were scheduled for MRI's immediately upon return from the SWAC Tournament. Despite the injury news, White remained positive and informed his team that 'our goal remains the same - a SWAC Championship.'
The first day of tournament play began on a positive note as Coach White was honored by his fellow coaches as the SWAC Coach Of The Year. Immediately after receiving the honor, the Lady Panthers began the pinfall round but hit a major roadblock as White had to bench his anchor in Reid due to severe knee pain after two games. The Lady Panthers finished the pinfall round ranked fourth en route to the No. 4 seed in Saturday's bracket play.
On Saturday, March 23, Reid pulled a Willis Reed moment and informed Coach White that she wanted to bowl through her pain as the season was on the line. The Lady Panthers struggled in their first match as they fell to TSU which dropped them to the loser's bracket. Once again though, PV overcame the early loss and bowled 20 straight games with their backs against the wall en route to clinching a spot in the SWAC Bowling Tournament Championship for the fourth straight year and second consecutive year coming out the loser's bracket.
However, nothing could prepare White for what happened in Sunday's championship match against SWAC nemesis Alabama A&M.
Already faced with a barrage of injuries, the Lady Panthers rallied back from a 3-1 deficit in the opener on Sunday and forced a second match with a 4-3 win. Both teams received a 10-minute break before the start of their second match but during the break, the Lady Panthers were greeted with news that a burglary had occurred at the bowling alley and several of their bags were rummaged through in addition to a missing cell phone, laptop and several wallets. With the lights of the TV crew waiting to film game two, the affected team members rushed to shut down the stolen credit cards while also tracking down the culprit via mobile devices. With little time remaining, the affected team members were only able to cancel their credit cards before the start of the match which caused Coach White to huddle the team together and regain their focus for the year's most important match.
The Lady Panthers struggled to regain their focus early on in the title match as Alabama A&M jumped out to a 2-0 advantage. PV regained its focus after two games and rolled off three straight wins to claim a 3-2 lead. Ironically, the season came down to Reid in the seventh and deciding game as the San Antonio, Texas native bowled a strike on her injured knee in the 10th and final frame to claim PV's second straight title.
“I am so proud of this team and what they were able to accomplish this weekend with all of the adversities they had to contend with.” said White. “For them to still win the SWAC Championship speaks volumes about their efforts and their commitment to give their all to each other and the university. This was truly a total team effort. They have represented PVAMU in a most courageous manner. I would also like to acknowledge senior Roonesia Newsom for the leadership that she provided to her teammates in trying to keep them focused and inspired throughout the championship tournament.”
Prairie View A&M supporters and fans can witness the team's championship performance on national TV Tuesday evening (April 2) at 8:30 p.m. as ESPNU will air the match for the first time. Please check your local TV provider for ESPNU availability. The match can also be accessed through the Watch ESPN app via smart phones or the Internet at www.ESPN3.com.
The team will also hold a watch party tomorrow evening at 8:15 p.m. in The Purple Zone which is located inside of Farrell Hall on the Prairie View A&M campus. Please RSVP with head coach Glenn White at ghwhite@pvamu.edu.
