PRAIRIE VIEW - The Prairie View A&M women's basketball team opened their season with a 85-55 win against Texas A&M - Kingsville Tuesday night in the Baby Dome.

The Panthers got off to a hot 7-2 start in the first quarter, but the Javelinas responded with a 7-2 run of their own to tie the game. The Panthers then used an 11-0 surge pushed the score to 15-13 before two back-to-back three-pointers extended the team's lead to 21-11 with just over two minutes remaining in the period.

Up 21-14 to begin the second, the Panthers seized control as graduate transfer Tatyana Perez led a 13-4 spurt that pushed their lead to 34-18. The team kept a steady pace throughout the rest of the period and went into halftime leading 45-26 as freshman Diana Rosenthal keyed a 7-0 run to close the half.

Prairie View A&M continued to score in bunches as the second half progressed as senior Mariah Campbell capped an 11-3 run that extended the team's lead to 58-29. Following a layup from Perez, Texas A&M-Kingsville managed to string together five quick points, but Prairie View's stranglehold on the game was never challenged, as Rosenthal led an 8-0 run to push the lead up to 30.

A jumper from freshman Kennedi Heard gave the Panthers their largest lead of the night at 32, and from there Prairie View A&M's lead held strong the rest of the way.

The Panthers will participate in the WNIT Invite beginning on Friday, Nov. 8 as they are set to open the tournament with a game against the University of Oklahoma. 
 

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