BOX SCORE

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Free throws and closing out tight games had been the Achilles' heel for the Lady Panthers on multiple occasions this season. But on Saturday afternoon in a game pivotal for Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament seeding, the Panthers responded with the poise of a veteran squad and a sense of urgency in a 48-45 win over Alabama State.

Around this time last year, the Lady Panthers closed out the regular season on a three-game winining streak and carried that momentum over into the SWAC Tournament en route to a championship victory and a NCAA Tournament berth. They want to duplicate those results.

"Every game is a championship game for us," Prairie View A&M coach Toyelle Wilson said. "We've got to play like it. We've got to finish like it. If it's going to be an ugly win, then so be it. That's what SWAC teams do. These last few games are pivotal, and they are all championship games for us."

With 41 seconds remaining in the game and her team trailing 45-44. Senior forward Latia Williams, who had been struggling at the foul line as a 47 percent foul shooter on the season, drained two clutch free throws to give her team a one-point lead. The Lady Panthers then bunkered down on a defensive side of the ball, forcing Alabama State into two missed shots. On the second missed shot, sophomore center Larissa Scott came down with a huge rebound and was fouled 22 seconds left. Scott went to the line and knocked down both free throws to give the Lady Panthers a 48-45 lead.

"The two free throws by Latia Williams and Larissa's free throws at the end of the game were big," Wilson said. "We just made huge stops after an adjustment defensively. They didn't score in the last 1:47."

Alabama State couldn't get off the last-second shot, and Prairie View A&M improved to 8-7 in SWAC Play. Scott turned in her best scoring output of the season, with a 17-point, six-rebound performance. Williams turned in her eighth double-double of the season and her 17th career double-double. The SWAC's second-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder pulled down 12 points and 13 rebounds. 

The Lady Panthers took a 29-21 lead into the locker room at the half. Larissa Scott and Kiara Etienne combined for 21 points in the first half. Etienne finished with 15 points for Prairie View A&M. Scott was a force in the paint with 11 points, eight of them coming in the lane. She shot 3-for-4 from the foul line, drawing contact multiple times on the way to the basket. 

Etienne was able to spot up behind the three-point line and make an impact. She made two shots from downtown in the first half on 50 percent shooting. The Lady Panthers look to finish out their road trip with a win at Alabama A&M. The two teams will face off at 5:30 p.m. on Monday in Huntsville, Ala.