(Photo: Jeanette Jackson, seen here in Monday's game at Alabama State, scored 13 points for the Lady Panthers against Southern.)PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – The Southern Jaguars scored 20 unanswered points midway through the first half and never looked back Thursday as they went on to defeat the Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers 78-50.
Briana Green scored 23 points and Kendra Coleman chipped in 20 for the Jaguars (17-2, 15-2 SWAC), who won their 14th consecutive game.
Shamiya Brooks scored a season-high 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting, but her Prairie View A&M teammates shot 24 percent (11 of 45) from the floor as the Lady Panthers (13-16) dropped their second consecutive game and fell to 10-7 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play.
Jeanette Jackson added 13 points for the Lady Panthers, while
Alexus Parker chipped in five points.
Asha Hampton-Finch tallied three points, four assists, three steals, and two blocks for Prairie View A&M.
It was Hampton-Finch who tied the game for the Lady Panthers with jumper off a pass from
Shaneece Stephens with 16:24 remaining in the first half. That would be the only tie score of the game as the Jaguars scored 20 unanswered points and held Prairie View A&M scoreless over the following eight minutes.
As a team, the Lady Panthers shot 29 percent (17 of 59) from the floor, while the Jaguars sizzled, shooting 55 percent (29 of 53).
The loss dropped the Lady Panthers into a third-place tie with Alabama State, which won 68-62 at Grambling State on Thursday. The Lady Hornets own the tiebreaker over Prairie View A&M by having defeated the Lady Panthers twice this season.
In spite of the logjam for the first six seeds into the SWAC Tournament, the Lady Panthers can finish no lower than fifth place after Thursday's results. The possibility remains for a three-way tie for third place between Prairie View A&M, Alabama State, and Jackson State should the Lady Panthers lose Saturday and Jackson State defeats the Lady Hornets in Mississippi. Even then, the Lady Panthers would be assured of playing next Thursday on the second day of the SWAC Tournament in Houston, in either a 3-6 of a 4-5 game.
The Lady Panthers face Alcorn State on Saturday to conclude the regular season. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m., with some of the Senior Day festivities to take place before the contest.
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