BOX SCORE
For the fourth consecutive game, the Prairie View A&M Panthers decided to pull the hair from head coach Byron Rimm's head as an 18-point lead dwindled down to two points with time running down. However, the Panthers persevered from the free throw line as they swept the season series over Alabama State with a 62-59 victory in the William Nicks Building on Monday night.
Prairie View A&M was destined for another slow start as ASU scored the first five points of the ballgame. The Panthers responded with five consecutive points to tie the game and went ahead (10-7) for the first time with 15:37 remaining following senior Tim Meadows' three-pointer. Once ahead, Prairie View A&M would never relinquish the lead as it grew to as much as five points on two occasions over the next 15 minutes. With 5:48 remaining, Alabama State's Luther Page scored off a tip-in but the Panthers took control of the game from that point as they outscored ASU 16-6 over the final 4:20 en route to a 36-22 halftime advantage.
The Panthers were on cruise control early in the second stanza as their lead grew to as high as 18 following Ryan Gesiakowski's trey with 15:05 remaining. The Hornets closed to 12 after a brief surge but PV remained ahead comfortably as Gesiakowski nailed another trey for a 53-38 lead at the 10:14 mark.
However, things began to turn south for the Panthers as Alabama State outscored them 19-7 over the next 11 minutes to draw within two at 59-57 after Tremaine Butler's layup with 2:51 left. Butler missed the ensuing free throw and ASU went cold as they missed a jumper while PV turned the ball over with 2:25 left.
As the clock read 1:29, play came to a halt as the scoreboard went out which caused a delay for nearly 20 minutes. After the problem was rectified, ASU's Ivory White missed a trey and PV's Jourdan DeMuynck was fouled on the ensuing possession. DeMuynck hit both free throws with 40 ticks remaining but ASU countered with a layup from Phillip Crawford to close within two at 61-59 with 34 seconds left.
PV committed a costly turnover immediately following the free throws but Alabama State's Ryan Watts missed the go-ahead three-pointer as the clock read 16 seconds. After a series of fouls, PV's Louis Munks hit one of two free throws with nine ticks remaining but the Panthers had to hold on for dear life as ASU's Butler missed the potential game-tying trey with three seconds left.
Three players scored in double figures with Gesiakowski and Meadows leading the Panthers with 12 points each. DeMuynck followed with 11 while Jules Montgomery grabbed 10 boards.
The Panthers return to action on Thursday as they'll travel to Southern for a 7:30 p.m. matchup in Baton Rouge, La.
