COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — The Prairie View A&M men's basketball team continues its run through the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament as the Panthers face Alabama A&M in the semifinal round Friday afternoon at Gateway Center Arena. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. (CT) with a trip to the championship game on the line.

Prairie View A&M enters the contest as the No. 8 seed after knocking off No. 1 seed Bethune-Cookman Wildcats men's basketball in the quarterfinals and previously defeating Alcorn State Braves men's basketball in the opening round.

Last Time Out – Panthers
The Panthers delivered a clutch performance in the quarterfinals, using a dominant showing from Dontae Horne and Cory Wells along with a late surge to defeat Bethune-Cookman 71–67 Wednesday afternoon.

With the game hanging in the balance in the final seconds, Wells knocked down a key free throw with 12 seconds remaining before Cory Dunning came up with a huge defensive block to seal the win during a decisive 6–0 Panthers run.

Horne powered Prairie View A&M with a game-high 30 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including three three-pointers. Wells added a massive 22-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Lance Williams contributed 12 points, six assists and four rebounds in a full 40-minute effort.

The trio combined for 64 of Prairie View A&M's 71 points, nearly 90 percent of the Panthers' offense.

Prairie View A&M shot 49.1 percent from the field and an impressive 57.1 percent from three-point range, while limiting Bethune-Cookman to 18.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

Scouting Alabama A&M
Alabama A&M enters the semifinal matchup after an 85–74 overtime victory over Texas Southern Tigers men's basketball in the quarterfinals.

The Bulldogs were powered by Koron Davis and Bilal Abdur-Rahman, who combined for 43 points in the win. Davis led all scorers with 24 points and six rebounds, while Abdur-Rahman added 19 points off the bench.

Alabama A&M (18-14), the No. 5 seed in the tournament, also features a balanced scoring attack led by Davis (15.2 ppg) and Kintavious Dozier (14.8 ppg). Forward PJ Eason anchors the interior, averaging 7.0 rebounds per game.

The Bulldogs showed resilience in their quarterfinal victory, erasing multiple deficits and outscoring Texas Southern 19–8 in overtime.

Bulldog Leaders
Alabama A&M features a balanced lineup led by Davis, who averages 15.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 44 percent from the field and 82.8 percent from the free-throw line.

Kintavious Dozier adds 14.8 points per game and shoots 36.4 percent from three-point range, providing the Bulldogs with another reliable scoring option.

Sami Pissis contributes 10.6 points per contest and has connected on 35 three-pointers this season, while James Graham III averages 10.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.

Anchoring the paint is PJ Eason, who leads the Bulldogs on the glass with 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting an efficient 54.5 percent from the field.

Panther Leaders
Prairie View A&M is led offensively by Horne, who averages 20.2 points per game and has emerged as one of the league's most dynamic scorers. Joseph adds 19.1 points per game, while Wells anchors the front court with 12.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

Williams directs the offense from the point guard position, averaging 9.7 points and 3.2 assists per game while logging a team-high 35.2 minutes per contest.
Semifinal Stakes

Earlier Meeting This Season
When the teams met earlier this season in Prairie View, Texas, Alabama A&M earned an 80–60 victory.

Prairie View A&M had three players score in double figures in that contest, led by Tai'Reon Joseph with 15 points. Horne added 14 points and four assists, while Keeshawn Mason contributed 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Panthers shared the ball effectively in the match up, recording 15 assists on 24 made field goals, and also controlled the offensive glass with 15 offensive rebounds.

Both teams enter Friday's match up with momentum after strong quarterfinal performances. Prairie View A&M looks to continue its upset run as the tournament's No. 8 seed, while Alabama A&M aims to advance to the championship game after snapping a long losing streak against Texas Southern.

With a spot in the SWAC Championship Game on the line, the Panthers will look for another big performance from their veteran core as they battle the Bulldogs in a high-stakes semifinal clash.
 
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