PRAIRIE VIEW – A mark of a good team is the ability to win in multiple ways. 
 
Through the opening weekend of Southwestern Athletic Conference play, Prairie View A&M men's basketball has demonstrated that it may be exactly that. After riding its offense to a win in their conference opener, the Panthers took advantage of their ESPNU stage and leaned on their defense en route to a 64-54 victory over Southern Monday evening in the Baby Dome.

Senior Darius Williams led the Panthers with 14 points, while senior Devonte Patterson added 10 points. Senior Gerard Andrus had an all-around effort with nine points, a team-high seven rebounds and four steals. Nine different Prairie View A&M players found the bottom of the twine during the contest.

Despite an uneven start where they trailed much of the opening five minutes of play, the Panthers (6-9, 2-0 SWAC) threatened to run away with matters midway through the first half. Up 14-11 with 10:52 left, Prairie View A&M began to punish Southern with a barrage of interior scoring, ultimately stringing together a 15-2 run to go ahead 29-13 with 3:41 left before intermission. Southern managed to chip away at matters, as Southern's Ahsante Shivers got three the hard way to spark a 9-2 run close to the end of the period for the Jaguars (3-12, 0-2 SWAC).

Shivers knocked down a three to help pull the Jaguars within six, but the Panthers refused to relent as Andrus nailed a pair of buckets to power an 8-2 spurt that put them back ahead by double-digits. The Panthers defense was especially smothering during that quick surge, keeping Southern without a field goal during a near-five minute stretch.

The Panthers appeared poised to cruise from that point, but Southern's Damiree Burns led a late charge to pull the Jaguars within eight.

Of course, for every flurry the Jaguars threw, the Panthers responded in kind. Williams converted a pair of free throws to put Prairie View A&M back up by 10, while Patterson and senior Leon Sneed added baskets to increase the Panthers advantage to 14 with 4:31 left. From there, the Panthers clamped down on the Jaguars the rest of the way, holding a double-digit advantage despite going without a field goal over the game's final 4:31.

Prairie View A&M shot 45 percent from the field (22-of-49), harassing Southern into 22 turnovers. The Panthers scored 30 points in the paint and got 27 points from the bench.

Burns led Southern with 12 points and five rebounds.

Next Up:
Prairie View A&M is back at it Saturday, Jan. 11, heading to Houston to face arch-rival Texas Southern. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.