HOUSTON, TX --Nick Anderson and Tanahj Pettway combined to score 30 total points, in a challenging regular season basketball outing, withe the Panthers facing off against the Rice Owls on Sunday at the Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston, TX. Despite a promising lead at the break, the Panthers could not maintain their momentum, falling to the Owls with a final score of 64-46.
The Panthers held a narrow lead at halftime, leading the scoreboard at 27-23. Nick Anderson was the standout player for Prairie View A&M, contributing a team-high 18 points along with 10 rebounds. Tanahj Pettway also put up a notable performance with 12 points. Other contributors included Braelon Bush and Marcel Bryant, both adding 5 points each to the team's effort. Orlando Horton, Jr. was versatile on the court with 4 points, 3 rebounds, a block, and a steal.
Prairie View A&M forced 13 Rice turnovers while committing 11 themselves in Sunday's game. The Panthers turned those takeaways into seven points on the other end of the floor. Anderson's two steals led the way for Prairie View A&M.
However, despite the Panthers' strong start, Rice escalated their offensive game in the second half, taking control of the game and leaving Prairie View A&M striving to catch up. Key players for Prairie View A&M like Jordan Tillmon and John-Paul Ricks were active defensively, accumulating steals but struggled to add points.
The Panthers now turn their focus towards their next challenge as they prepare to face the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, OK. With a current season record of 1-11, 0-0 SWAC, the team is looking to regroup and improve as they proceed in the season.
How It Happened
After falling behind 3-2, Prairie View A&M went on a 7-0 run with 17:30 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Bryant, to take a 9-3 lead. The Panthers then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 27-23 advantage. Prairie View A&M relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down four shots to account for 12 of its 27 points.
Rice then erased the Prairie View A&M lead in the game's final quarter for a 64-46 comeback victory. Prairie View A&M took care of business in the paint, recording 10 of its 19 points in the lane.
Game Notes
» Anderson notched a double-double for the Panthers with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
» Anderson, Pettway, and Bryant combined to account for 76 percent of the Panthers points.
» The Prairie View A&M defense forced 13 turnovers.
» Anderson led the Panthers with a game-high 18 points.
» Prairie View A&M got a team-high 10 rebounds from Anderson.
