PANTHERS CONTINUE FIVE-GAME SWING AT TEXAS TECH
The Prairie View A&M Panthers return to the court for the first time since Dec. 6 for a non-conference match-up at Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas.  The Panthers have struggled to open the 2014-15 campaign as they're 1-8 but they've played a very tough schedule which consisted of trips to places such as Baylor, Memphis and Oklahoma State. Despite their early setbacks, the Panthers have been very competitive but have struggled down the stretch as the past several games have come down to second half breakdowns.

HONOR A FALLEN PANTHER
Head coach Byron Rimm II and the Prairie View A&M family lost a former Panther recently in former student-athlete Mayol Riathin.  Riathin, who played for the Panthers from 2011-2013, died recently in a car accident which took place in the state of Wyoming.  Riathin wore No. 33 during his tenure at PVAMU and the number will not be worn this season as it was originally assigned to Nolan Wilson.

ALL-TIME SERIES
The Panthers last played Texas Tech in 2012 as they dropped an 89-79 decision in Lubbock, Texas.  Texas Tech leads the all-time series by a margin of 6-0.
 
ABOUT THE PANTHERS
Prairie View A&M returns four starters from last year's team which advanced to the finals of the SWAC Basketball Tournament for the second consecutive season.  The Panthers also return a total of six letterwinners but lose a total of seven lettermen.  Senior guard Montrael Scott received first team preseason honors as the Prairie View A&M men's basketball team was picked to finish sixth in the annual SWAC Men's Basketball Preseason poll.  Scott, who returned to the lineup on Wednesday after missing the past four games due to an illness, ranks second on the team in scoring with 10.4 points per game.  Senior guard John Brisco has been on a tear lately as he leads the team in scoring with 13.7 points per game while fellow senior guard Tre Hagood has upped his scoring output to 11.8 points per game and a team-high 4.1 assists.  Junior post Karim York is the team's top rebounder with 5.4 per game along with chipping in 9.4 points.

LAST TIME THEY MET
Texas Tech 89
Prairie View A&M 79 
Fri., Nov. 9, 2012    
Jordan Tolbert scored 16 points just two weeks after his father died, leading Texas Tech to an 89-79 victory over Prairie View A&M on Friday night in the season opener for both teams.
Tolbert was 7 for 7 from the field and had seven rebounds.
Jamal Williams Jr. added 15 points for Texas Tech, including 3-pointers on three straight possessions to spark an early run that gave the Red Raiders a lead they carried through the rest of the game.
Prairie View trailed by 20 points before getting as close as eight in the second half.
Carl Blair was 15 of 17 from the free-throw line and finished with 19 points for the Panthers. Ryan Gesiakowski added 18 points.
Center Dejan Kravic was a force inside for Texas Tech with seven rebounds, nine points and five blocks. Daylen Robinson added 14 points and three steals off the bench.
Prairie View A&M was without Jourdan DeMuynck, who sat with a thumb injury. DeMuynck led the team with 10.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season.

THE LAST TIME
The last time PVAMU faced Texas Tech, the Red Raiders featured a different coaching staff as they were under interim head coach Chris Walker.
The Red Raiders are under the direction of well-respected veteran head coach Tubby Smith, who begins his second season at the school.  This will mark the first time Smith will face Prairie View A&M and his fourth meeting all-time against the SWAC in his coaching career.
Smith faced Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State as Kentucky's head coach while facing Texas Southern at Texas Tech.