ITTA BENA, Miss. – The Prairie View A&M basketball teams look to conclude a key two-game road trip with Monday night victories at Mississippi Valley State.
 
The 5:30 p.m. doubleheader will be broadcast live on the PVAMU Sports Network beginning with Panthers Pregame at 5:15 p.m. at pvpanthers.com/sportsnetwork.
 
Both the Lady Panthers and Panthers posted important wins Saturday night at Arkansas-Pine Bluff  to stay firmly in the hunt for the SWAC regular season title and a top four finish in the standings, which would ensure a home first-round SWAC Tournament game on March 6. The Lady Panthers have won six of their last eight games, while the Panthers have won six of their last seven games.
 
Head Coach Ravon Justice's team is 8-5 and in fourth place in the standings behind first-place Southern (11-3), Texas Southern (10-3), and Grambling St. (10-4). PVAMU is two losses ahead of both Jackson State (7-7) and Alabama St. (6-7).
 
PVAMU's 89-72 win at UAPB Saturday night was the third-highest scoring game of the season for the Lady Panthers. Shala Dobbins scored a career-high 40 points in the win, the highest in the SWAC this season and the highest by a women's player in the league since Tanika Jackson of Alabama State scored 42 points on Dec. 16, 2010 vs. Oakwood.
 
Dobbins made 22 of 23 free throws, just four shy of the NCAA single game record for free throw made in a game. Dobbins is second in the SWAC and now 10^th in the nation in scoring at 21.5. Dominique Newman scored 17 points and Talisha Presley added 15 for the Lady Panthers.
 
Monday's contest is the second against Miss. Valley State this season. The Devilettes and Lady Panthers battled in the William J. Nicks Building back on Jan. 22, the Prairie View A&M prevailing 78-73 behind 30 points from Dobbins.
 
Kristy Parker leads Mississippi Valley State and is fourth in the SWAC in scoring at 15.5 points per game.
 
In men's play, the 76-71 Saturday night overtime win for Head Coach Byron Smith's Panthers at Arkansas-Pine Bluff was only the second at UAPB since 2005. It was the fourth straight loss for the Golden Lions and furthered the logjam near the top of the SWAC standings.
 
Grambling State is in first place at 10-3 in league play, with four teams each with five losses behind GSU. Southern and Arkansas-Pine Bluff are both 9-5, and the Panthers and Texas Southern are 8-5.
 
All five starters were in double figures for the Panthers for the first time this season. Dennis Jones and Gary Blackston each scored 17 points, Troy Thompson scored 12, and Zachary Hamilton each scored 11 for Prairie View A&M.
 
The streak of winning six of its last seven games started with the first meeting against Miss. Valley State, a 93-77 home win back on Jan. 22. Blackston and Hamilton each scored 26 points, and Thompson scored 22 in the win.
 
The Delta Devils (2-25, 2-12) lost at home Saturday to Texas Southern 72-71. Miss Valley State has lost four SWAC games in overtime and has lost its last two games by a total of five points. Dante Scott (14.6 ppg/t-8^th SWAC) and Jordan Evans (14.0/10^th SWAC) lead MVSU in scoring.
 
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