Prairie View A&M Rolls Past Alabama A&M 74–55, Advances to SWAC Championship

By Raymond Forte

A dominant first half and a suffocating transition offense carried Prairie View A&M past Alabama A&M 74–55, sending the Panthers to the SWAC Men’s Basketball Championship Game.

Alabama A&M struck first and briefly controlled the opening minutes. James Graham opened the scoring with a pull-up jumper, and the Bulldogs built an early 6–1 lead after a second-chance layup by P.J. Eason. Sami Pissis added a three-pointer to push the advantage to 13–7 midway through the first half.

Prairie View A&M responded by settling into its offense and capitalizing on Bulldog turnovers. Dontae Horne sparked the Panthers with aggressive drives to the basket, while Cory Wells added timely scoring from both the perimeter and inside. After trailing 13–12, Prairie View went on a decisive run fueled by transition baskets, second-chance opportunities, and defensive pressure. Horne scored repeatedly in the paint, Wells knocked down a fast-break three, and Lance Williams added key baskets as the Panthers stretched their lead to 36–21 by halftime.

The second half followed a similar pattern. Prairie View continued to attack downhill, with Horne leading the way offensively and Williams providing steady production. Corey Dunning also made his presence felt around the rim, punctuating a second-half sequence with an emphatic dunk, while the Panthers kept Alabama A&M from mounting any serious threat. The Bulldogs showed flashes with second-chance points and outside shooting, including multiple threes from Graham and a late basket from Angok Anyang, but they were never able to cut the deficit into single digits.

Prairie View’s defense and transition play proved to be the difference. The Panthers forced turnovers that led directly to easy baskets and controlled the tempo for most of the game after the opening stretch. Alabama A&M had moments offensively from Graham, Pissis, and Kintavious Dozier, but Prairie View’s balanced attack and first-half surge created too much separation to overcome.

Horne was the tone-setter all night, repeatedly driving and finishing at the rim on his way to a game-high 25 points. Wells and Williams kept the pressure on throughout, and Prairie View’s collective effort left no doubt in the final score. Prairie View A&M will play in the SWAC Men’s Basketball Championship Game Saturday at 7:30 p.m. EST.