BOX SCORE
The Prairie View A&M women's basketball team had its chances as it held a lead late in the second half of a 62-55 loss to Stephen F Austin on Tuesday night in the William Nicks Building, but an untimely shooting slump dropped the Lady Panthers to an 0-2 start on the season.
Senior guard Kiara Etienne sank a mid-range jumper with 3:38 left in the game to give Prairie View A&M a 50-49 lead. SFA, however, responded with a two-minute, 9-2 run. The Lady Jacks capitalized as Prairie View A&M missed 6-of-8 shots from the field in the final three minutes of the game.
Senior forward Latia Williams hit a jumper with 1:52 left to cut her team's deficit to 54-52, but SFA tacked on four-consecutive points via free throws as the Lady Panthers missed shots.
Despite shooting 32.3 percent from the field in the second half, the Lady Panthers took good shots in the first half and made them. They shot 48 percent from the field, and went to sophomore forward Larissa Scott for efficient buckets. Scott scored each of her 14 points in the first half, going 6-for-8 from the floor, and the Lady Panthers took a 33-32 lead into the locker room. She was limited in the second half due to foul trouble and finished with 14 points and six rebounds.
Williams finished with her second-consecutive double-double and second of the season, lighting up SFA for 15 points and 10 rebounds in the losing effort, while Etienne turned in a season and game-high 23 points and four rebounds.
The Lady Jacks had four of their five starters score nine points or more in a balanced attack, led by guard Brittney Matthew (11 points, three assists, two steals).
Prairie View will hit the frozen tundra of Anchorage, Alaska as they take Part in the Great Alaska Shootout from Nov. 20-21 at the University of Alaska-Anchorage. The Lady Panthers will take on Utah State at 6 p.m. on Tuesday and will not return to the William Nicks Building until Jan. 6 when they play host to Texas Southern.
