PRAIRIE VIEW – The Prairie View A&M women's basketball team (1-2) heads into the Southwestern Athletic Conference portion of play beginning with Southern on Saturday and Alcorn State on Monday. Tip-off versus the Jaguars is set for 2 p.m. from the F.G. Clark Activity Center while the Panthers and Lady Braves will clash at 5:30 p.m. in the Davey L. Whitney Complex.
 
Last Time Out:
> The Panthers dropped a 61-54 contest to Houston Baptist Dec. 29. Diana Rosenthal led the Panthers with 16 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Jasmin Dixon scored five points and swatted four shots.
 
Storylines to Watch:
> Rosenthal is coming off a SWAC Player of the Week nod and dating back to last season has scored in double-figures in eight of her past 11 games. The sophomore is averaging a team-best 14.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
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> Statistically, the Panthers' offense is producing at a level not previously seen under coach Sandy Pugh. PVAMU currently averages 70.7 points per game, second-highest in the league. Additionally, the Panthers boast the top shooting offense, shooting defense and scoring defense among SWAC teams.

> This weekend marks a pair of homecomings of sorts for Prairie View A&M coaches, as Pugh once again steps foot in her old stomping grounds at Southern – against whom Pugh is 2-3 – while assistant coach Courtney G. Pruitt will be up against her former team in Alcorn State. Pruitt coached the Lady Braves for five seasons, molding the team into one of the best pressure defenses in the country under her watch.
 
Scouting the Opponents:
> Not long removed from a conference and tournament championship, Southern is once again considered a top contender within the SWAC and are led by Genovea Johnson, a dynamic sophomore who leads the team in scoring (14.4 points per game) as well as most every statistical category sans rebounding. The Jaguars have defended the three-point line as well as anyone, limiting opponents to a league-best 26.7 percent conversion rate. PVAMU may be able to exploit an advantage on the boards, as the Panthers lead the league in defensive rebounds and have conceded the least amount of rebounds per game by any league team.

> The Lady Braves boast a senior-laden unit led by Kirdis Clark (team-high 12.5 PPG, 2.5 SPG). Though Diamond Hall (9.3 PPG) and Cayla Obillo (9.0 PPG) have flashed as secondary options, Alcorn has struggled offensively thanks to an arduous non-conference slate. The Panthers must contend with one of the more aggressive defensive teams in the conference, as the Braves not only limit opponent rebounding – they rank second behind PVAMU – but they also averaging nearly 12 steals a game, a figure that ranks 20^th nationally and best in the conference.

How to Follow:
> Live Stats for the PVAMU/Southern are available HERE. Live Stats for the PVAMU/Alcorn are available HERE.