BOX SCORE
TOLEDO, Ohio - Prairie View A&M could not overcome a rough second half of shooting in a 76-41 loss to Toledo on Friday night in the championship game of the Toledo Invite.
The Lady Panthers only trailed 38-30 at the half, but they went cold in the final 20 minutes of play. They were held to seven points through the first 14 minutes of the second half, including a 1-for-11 performance from downtown. On the opposite end, Toledo caught fire as it finished by shooting 52 percent from the field and draining seven threes en route to a 63 percent showing from three-point land.
“You can't win a game when you only score four baskets in a 20-minute half against a good team like Toledo,” Prairie View A&M coach Toyelle Wilson said. “They are a veteran team that is used to going to the post season and a team that can score quickly.”
Toledo (10-1) opened the second half off on a 7-0 run and extended its lead to 45-30 after a layup by Yolanda Richardson with 17:55 remaining in the second half.
JaQuandria Williams and Latia Williams kept the Lady Panthers within striking distance of the Rockets in the first half as they turned in 10 and 12 points respectively. JaQuandia Williams had her most efficient half of the season with a 5-for-6 showing from the field. She, however, also cooled off in the second half, finishing with 12 points and on 5-for-14 shooting from the field.
“We just didn't hit shots,” Wilson said. “They made a defensive switch and our girls didn't step up to the plate...We didn't run our offense. We stopped playing. I can deal with losing, but not giving effort and not having pride is another thing.”
Latia Williams finished with a game-high 14 points and seven rebounds. She was etched further into the Prairie View A&M history books as she moved further past the marks of 1000 career points and 600 career rebounds. She has 608 career rebounds, and she passed the 1000-career point mark in a 72-60 loss to Kansas on Dec. 16 in Lawrence Kansas.
Both Latia and JaQuandria Williams were selected to the Toledo Invite All-Tournament team for their performances over the two days of play.
Prairie View A&M (3-6) will play No. 22 ranked Texas A&M at 7 p.m. on Dec. 28 in College Station as they close out it closes out its non-conference schedule. Wilson said the team will have to get back on the practice court and do everything with more intensity in order to bounce back against such a formidable opponent.
