HOUSTON, TX --  In a fiercely contested league game at the H&PE Arena in Houston, TX, the Prairie View A&M women's basketball team faced off against the Texas Southern Lady Tigers on Saturday.  Despite a spirited second-half comeback, the Panthers could not overcome an early deficit, ultimately falling 69-82 to the Lady Tigers.

The game started tough for the Panthers, as they trailed 36-48 at halftime. Key Panthers players, Nyam Thornton and Mikayla Hutchinson, were significant contributors, scoring 22 and 14 points respectively. Thornton also added four rebounds and four steals to her impressive stats. Despite their efforts, strong offensive plays from Texas Southern's Belton Jaida, who secured a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, and critical last-minute plays by the Panthers, could not shift the game in their favor.

Hutchinson also had five assists and three steals and Adreanna Waddle chipped in with seven points, seven rebounds, and two blocks coming off the bench.  Led by Waddle's two offensive rebounds, Prairie View A&M did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 13 boards that resulted in 15 second chance points.

The Prairie View A&M defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Saturday's game, forcing 16 Texas Southern turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 13 points on the offensive end of the floor. Nia Jordan led the way individually for the Panthers with four steals.

Prairie View A&M's current season record stands at 5 wins and 13 losses, with a SWAC record of 2-7. Looking forward, the Panthers will host Florida A&M at the William J. Nicks Building in Prairie View, Texas, on Thursday, February 6, 2025. The Panthers aim to regroup and capture a much-needed victory in front of their home crowd.

How It Happened

Prairie View A&M struggled out of the gate, falling behind 26-15 at the end of the first quarter.

Prairie View A&M kept the Tigers from increasing their lead before going on a 7-0 run, highlighted by a three from Hutchinson, to narrow its deficit to 28-24. Texas Southern responded and expanded its lead, leaving the Panthers trailing 48-36 heading into halftime.

Prairie View A&M's deficit continued to grow after halftime, and the Panthers faced a 68-50 disadvantage heading to the fourth quarter. Prairie View A&M played well near the basket, scoring eight of its 14 points in the paint.

Prairie View A&M narrowed its deficit to 72-56 before going on a 9-0 run, finished off by Thornton's three, to shrink the deficit to 72-65 with 3:23 to go in the contest. Texas Southern responded and outscored the Panthers the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 82-69. Prairie View A&M took advantage of seven Texas Southern turnovers in the quarter, scoring five points off of those takeaways.

Game Notes

» The Prairie View A&M defense forced 16 turnovers.
» Prairie View A&M cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 13 offensive boards in the game.
» Thornton led the Panthers with a game-high 22 points.
» Prairie View A&M got a team-high seven rebounds from Waddle.