HOUSTON, Texas – The Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers opened the 2015 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament in familiar fashion Thursday. By winning.
 
At the Toyota Center in downtown Houston, the Lady Panthers (14-17) seized control of their quarterfinal game early, and then held off a late surge by Alcorn State as they went on to defeat the Lady Braves 66-59. Prairie View A&M will face Southern in the semifinal round Friday at 6 p.m.
 
Jeanette Jackson scored 22 points and Alexus Parker added 18 points as the Lady Panthers avenged their two regular season losses to Alcorn State. Shamiya Brooks added eight points and pulled in a game-high 10 rebounds for the Lady Panthers.
 
The win was Prairie View A&M's 13 consecutive triumph in the SWAC's postseason tournament.
 
Jasmine Cunningham scored 14 points to lead four Alcorn State players scoring in double-figures. The Lady Braves finished their season with a record of 10-18.
 
Prairie View A&M ceded the first basket of the contest and then scored the next 12 to set the tone for the game. The Lady Panthers never saw their lead dip below seven points for the remainder of the first half.
 
The Lady Panthers shot 48 percent (14 of 29) in the first half, and ended up shooting 44 percent (24 of 54) for the game. They limited the Lady Braves to 34 percent shooting from the floor (21 of 61) during the contest.
 
Alcorn State made only three out of their 15 3-point attempts (20 percent) during the game, but two of them came just eight seconds apart as the Lady Braves cut Prairie View A&M's lead from 12 points to four in a span of 23 seconds in the game's final minute. Back-to-back treys from Olivia Brown and Norianna Haynes helped the Lady Braves cut the deficit 61-57 with 36 seconds left to play.
 
But the effort would prove to be too little too late as the Lady Panthers would put the game away at the free throw line. Jackson and Monique Abbs – the team's best free throw shooters – helped seal the game by each going 2-for-2 at the line in the final 30 seconds.
 
Asha Hampton-Finch scored six points for Prairie View A&M. Abbs and Ebonee Tate added four points apiece for the Lady Panthers, while Shaneece Stephens chipped in three points.
 
TWEET of the GAME:

PVAMU has won 13 straight SWAC tourney games! Lady Panthers face Southern Friday. Jeanette Jackson scored 22 points! pic.twitter.com/jBaDjHsftl

— PV Panther Athletics (@PVAthletics) March 13, 2015