BOX SCORE
The Prairie View A&M women's basketball team held off a late surge by Mississippi Valley State and outlasted a team that entered the game in first place in SWAC play for a 61-56 victory Saturday evening at the William Nicks Building in Prairie View.
The Lady Panthers maintained the lead for most of the first and all of the second half, holding on to a 28-21 halftime lead. However, the Devilettes got to within two points in the closing minutes after a Prairie View turnover and a three-point shot by Davina Jefferson cut their deficit to 51-49 with 3:18 left in the game. The Lady Panthers countered with a 7-0 run, which was capped off by a Michaela Burton floater with 57 seconds left in the game to give the Lady Panthers a 58-51 lead. Prairie View held on from that point.
Junior Latia Williams recorded her sixth double-double of the season and her fourth in SWAC play. She lit up the Devilettes for 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. Junior guard Kiara Etienne was also effective from the floor, scoring 11 points and finishing her fifth consecutive game scoring in double digits. Freshman guard Jeanette Jackson added 10 points.
The Lady Panthers used the play of guards Latia Williams and Etienne to jump out to an early lead against Mississippi Valley State. Williams' jumper with 7:59 left in the game gave Prairie View A&M a 23-8 lead.
The Devilettes would cut their deficit to within single digits as the half winded down, but Prairie View A&M would still manage to head into the locker room with a seven-point lead. Etienne led all scorers with 11 points at the half while Latia Williams added four points and six rebounds.
With the win, the Lady Panthers put together back-to-back wins for the first time this season, riding the momentum from their 68-55 win over Grambling State on Martin Luther King Day. Prairie View improved to 6-11 (3-3 SWAC) while Mississippi Valley fell to 7-10 (4-2 SWAC).
The Lady Panthers will host Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Monday, Jan. 23 at 5:00 p.m. in the William Nicks Building.
