COLLEGE PARK, GA --  Prairie View A&M used a dominant second-half surge to erase a halftime deficit and pull away from Alcorn State for a 65-56 victory Tuesday afternoon at The Gateway Center Arena at College Park in College Park, Ga.

Trailing 26-22 at the break, the Panthers outscored Alcorn 43-30 over the final 20 minutes, sparked by an early jumper from Dontae Horne that cut the deficit to two just 15 seconds into the second half. From there, Prairie View steadily seized control behind improved efficiency on offense and a stronger effort on the glass, turning a four-point deficit into a comfortable margin down the stretch.

Horne led Prairie View A&M with a game-high 26 points and nine rebounds in 39 minutes, serving as the focal point of the Panthers' comeback. Guard Lance Williams added 17 points and three assists, giving Prairie View a reliable second scoring option as the offense found its rhythm after a slow first half. The Panthers shot 21-for-59 from the field and made 20 free throws, capitalizing on trips to the line to build and maintain their second-half lead.

One of the decisive sequences came late in the second half with Prairie View protecting a two-possession lead. With just under three minutes to play and the Panthers up 50-45, Cory Wells buried a 3-pointer off a kick-out from Horne to push the advantage to 53-45. That eight-point cushion proved critical, allowing Prairie View to manage the clock and force Alcorn to chase the game over the final minutes.

The Panthers will return to action on Wednesday, March 11 when they face the #1 seed Bethune Cookman in the quarter finals.