GAME NOTES
Taking out first-place Texas Southern will be pivotal for the Prairie View A&M women's basketball team if it plans on making a run for the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season title in the second half of the season.
The Lady Panthers suffered a 64-57 loss to Texas Southern in the first game game of the series in the William Nicks Building (Baby Dome) and will look to exact the sweetest form of revenge by returning the favor at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday in Houston at H&PE Arena.
Prairie View A&M is in third place at 8-11 (5-4 SWAC) after winning both contests in its two-game home-stand against Alabama State and Alabama A&M early on Jan. 26 and Jan. 28. respectively. During that stretch senior forward Latia Williams averaged 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists and 2.5 steals per game as she returned from a foot injury that had sidelined her in the previous two games. Williams is averaging 14.2 points and 9.1rebounds on the season and 13 points and 10 points in SWAC games this year. She is the only player in the league to average a double-double in conference games. She has received scoring help recently in the form of sophomore guard Jeanette Jackson and senior guard Kiara Etienne.
Jackson is averaging 9.8 points and 2.3 steals and 1.3 assists in her last three games. She scored 13 points, one point away from tying her season-high, in Prairie View A&M's 68-59 win over Alabama A&M. On the season Jackson is averaging 6.2 points and 2.6 assists.
Etienne is averaging 10.2 points per game and 2.8 rebounds this season. She scored 15 points in her last outing against Alabama A&M and was one of four players to score in double figures.
Prairie View A&M will try to slow down the balanced scoring attack of Texas Southern in its search for victory on Saturday. The Lady Tigers have three players that average around 10 points per game, including Kayla West, who hit up Prairie View A&M for 24 points in the Baby Dome on Jan. 6. West is the Lady Tigers' third-leading scorer at 9.8 points per game. Leading scorer Teera Williams (10.9 points) and second-leading scorer Gianne Fleming (10.4 points) will surely be circled on the scouting reports too.
