COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — The trio of Dontae Horne, Lance Williams, and Cory Wells erupted for 60 combined points as the Prairie View A&M Panthers rolled past the Alabama A&M Bulldogs 74–55 Friday afternoon at Gateway Center Arena at College Park to punch their ticket to the championship game.
With the win, Prairie View A&M (17-17) showcased its offensive firepower and defensive toughness, dominating both ends of the floor to secure its spot in Saturday's title matchup at 7:30 p.m. EST.
Horne led the charge with a game-high 25 points and six assists, controlling the tempo and igniting the Panthers' offense. Williams added 18 points, while Wells chipped in 17 points and seven rebounds, forming a relentless three-man attack that accounted for 81 percent of Prairie View A&M's scoring.
On the defensive end, the Panthers were just as impressive, limiting Alabama A&M to 33.3 percent shooting from the field.
How It Happened
Prairie View A&M found its rhythm midway through the first half after trailing 19-16. The Panthers then unleashed a 16-0 run fueled by defensive stops and transition buckets. A basket from Tai'Reon Joseph capped the surge, giving Prairie View a 32-19 lead with 8:58 left in the half.
The Panthers dominated the paint early, scoring 22 of their 36 first-half points inside, and carried a 36-21 advantage into halftime.
PVAMU continued to apply pressure after the break. After stretching the lead to 38-22, the Panthers delivered another 8-0 run, capped by a Corey Dunning layup, pushing the margin to 46-22 with 14:36 remaining.
Alabama A&M managed to narrow the gap late, but Prairie View maintained control the rest of the way, cruising to the 74-55 victory. The Panthers again controlled the interior in the second half, adding 22 of their 38 points in the paint.
Game Notes
- Prairie View A&M held Alabama A&M to 33.3 percent shooting.
- The Panthers never trailed in the second half.
- Horne, Williams, and Wells combined for 60 of Prairie View A&M's 74 points (81%).
- Horne recorded a game-high 25 points with six assists.
- Dunning grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
Up Next
The Panthers will now turn their focus to the championship game on Saturday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m. EST, where Prairie View A&M will battle for the conference title at the Gateway Center Arena at College Park.
