PRAIRIE VIEW – Led by the efforts of
Jeremiah Gambrell,
Will Douglas, and
Yahuza Rasas lifted the Prairie View A&M men's basketball team to an impressive, 61-60 come from behind victory over Grambling, Monday night in their Southwestern Athletic Conference opener.
A dogfight to the end, the Panthers were able to find fire with less than two minutes left on the clock taking a 59-58 lead.
Gambrell and Douglas paced the offense scoring 15 points apiece. Rasas joined them in double-figures, collecting 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.
The first half was a complete slugfest as the two sides bullied their way for position while taking long possessions to try and wear down each respective defense. The score reflected the defensive struggle as the teams went into the half, tied at 26-26.
The two teams went back-and-forth until the Tigers took control of things going on an 17-4 run (44-30) in the first six minutes of the second half. Grambling kept their distance a much as they could, before the Panthers responded nipping at the Tigers lead. A final tie at 59-59 saw PVAMU regaining the lead since the first half. A free throw by GSU's Shawndarius Cowart gave them the lead for the last minute of the game.
A turnover by the Panther's sought for an opportunity to secure the game by the Tigers, however a big block by Douglas stopped the momentum, and a team rebound was offered to Grambling with :46 seconds left in the game. A formidable jumper by GSU bounced off the rim into Gambrell's hands giving the Panthers the opportunity that they needed to take a 61-60 victory off of Rasas layup.
Prairie View A&M will continue play at home with a Wednesday night tilt against Southern. Tip is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the Babydome.
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