HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Despite a quick start, the Prairie View A&M women's basketball team fell 54-44 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference road contest to Alabama A&M Monday evening in T.M. Elmore Gymnasium. 
 
"We held this team, at their own place, to 36 percent shooting and still lost by 10," PVAMU Assistant Coach Sean LeBeauf said. "At the end of the day, we have to get tougher. We have to defend without fouling and we have to be able to rebound the basketball, because we're not shooting well enough to rely on offense. We have to be tougher on the defensive end and close out defensive possessions, or we're going to struggle."
 
The Panthers began the first quarter on a 7-0 run led by graduate transfer Tatyana Perez. Alabama A&M managed to cut into the deficit but a jumper from senior Bernesha Peters helped key a 7-2 run that pushed Prairie View A&M's lead to 10.  A basket from senior Dominique Newman and a pair of scores from senior Ke'Asia Williams kept the Panthers ahead during Alabama A&M's charge back into it, before a basket from Perez closed out the period at 22-14.
 
However, a tough second quarter sent Prairie View A&M into halftime down 31-26 as the Panthers were outscored 17-4 in the frame. The lack of offense carried into the second half, as aside from a layup from junior Jhyrah Cobb that cut the deficit to three, the Panthers went scoreless from the field throughout the majority of the period. They were, however, able to hold the Lady Bulldogs in check to a degree, going into the final frame down 39-30.
 
Though freshman Kennedy Paul converted back-to-back jumpers to get the Panthers off on the right foot early on, Prairie View A&M was unable to make up ground on the Lady Bulldogs. Alabama A&M surged ahead thanks to trips to the charity stripe, and despite a run of five points by Williams to bring the Panthers back within single-digits, a three-minute scoreless streak ultimately derailed the Panthers' comeback hopes.
 
Williams led the team with 13 points on 5-8 shooting, along with five rebounds and one assist. Perez and Peters both put up seven points apiece, while Paul added six points, two rebounds, one assist along with one steal. 

Next Up:
The Panthers will return home to face rival Texas Southern on Saturday, Feb. 8. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. in the Baby Dome.