JACKSON, Miss. – Alexus Parker scored 19 points for Prairie View A&M as the Lady Panthers ended six years of frustration Monday in defeating Jackson State 62-52.
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The Lady Panthers outscored Jackson State 25-6 in the third period to give themselves a 44-29 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Lady Tigers would not get closer than six points from their visitors for the rest of the contest.
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Prairie View A&M head coach
Dawn Brown – a 2005 graduate of Jackson State – picked up first win in three tries as PVAMU's head coach at the Lee E. Williams Athletic Assembly Center. It was her first win in any coaching capacity with the Lady Panthers in six tries.
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The Lady Panthers (6-8) snapped a three-game losing streak with the win over Jackson State, and improved to 2-3 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play.
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Parker was 6-of-12 from the field during the game, and made seven out of eight free throw attempts.
Lamaria Cole scored 15 points for Prairie View A&M, shooting 4-of-7 from the field, and 7-of-10 from the free throw line.
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Derica Williams came off the Jackson State bench to score a team-high 18 points for the Lady Tigers (9-7, 3-2 SWAC). She was 4-of-9 from behind the 3-point arc.
Prairie View A&M returns home for their next two contests. The Lady Panthers host
Arkansas–Pine Bluff on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
TWEET of the GAME:Â
HOW IT HAPPENED:- The Lady Panthers jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead less than two minutes into the game thanks to a pair of jumpers from Parker and an additional basket by Larissa Scott.
- A scoring drought of nearly four minutes ensued before the Williams put the Lady Tigers on the board with a 3-pointer with 4:36 remaining in the first quarter.
- Cole pushed the PVAMU lead back to five at 8-3 with a steal and fast-break layup with 2:50 remaining in the opening period. The Lady Panthers took a 12-7 lead into the second quarter.
- The Lady Tigers pieced together 9-0 run to claim a 21-16 lead. A pair of Williams free throws capped the run with 3:41 left to play before halftime.
- Jackson State led by as many as six points with 2:14 left in the first half, and led 23-19 at halftime.
- Prairie View A&M scored the first six points of the second half to reclaim a 25-23 lead with 6:21 left in the third quarter, with Jeronia Allen capping the run with a fast-break layup.
- After JSU tied the game, the Lady Panthers scored the next six points and 11 of the next 13 to push their lead 36-27 with 1:53 remaining in the quarter.
- PVAMU finished the quarter with an 8-0 run to claim a 44-29 lead.
- The Lady Panthers led by as many as 17 points early in the quarter, but JSU responded with a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to 46-38 with 6:16 left to play in the game.
- PVAMU responded with an 11-5 run to push its lead back to 14 points at 57-43 with 2:57 left in the game.
- JSU's 9-1 run would pull the Lady Tigers within six with 22 seconds left, but they would get no closer.
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GAME NOTES:
- Prairie View A&M won at Jackson State for the first time since a 71-33 win on Jan. 16, 2010.
- The Lady Panthers won at least one game on the Jackson State-Grambling road trip for the 11th consecutive year. (The 2012 road game against Grambling State was played in Dallas.)
- Jeronia Allen scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds for the Lady Panthers in her first game in Mississippi since she played at Itawamba (Miss.) Community College.
- LaNikki McMillian, a native of Pontotoc, Miss., and a teammate of Allen at Itawamba, scored three points and tied a PVAMU high with five rebounds in her first game back in the Magnolia State.
- The Lady Panthers were 0-of-10 from 3-point range, the first time this season they were held without a 3-pointer. It also marked the second consecutive game at Jackson State the Lady Panthers were held without a trey.
- The Lady Tigers were not much better from long range, making five out 24 attempts (20.8 percent).
- PVAMU won its second game this season when trailing at halftime.
- The Lady Panthers held all of their opponent's starters under 10 points for the first time since Feb. 23, 2015, when they defeated Arkansas–Pine Bluff at home 84-63.
- PVAMU was 22-of-30 (73.3 percent) from the free throw line. The last time the Lady Panthers sank more than 20 free throws was their 24-of-29 showing at home in a win over Mississippi Valley State on Feb. 21, 2005.
