Image via the Southwestern Athletic Conference
Courtesy of the SWAC
ATLANTA, Georgia- The Prairie View A&M Panthers shot 50 percent from three-point range enroute to a 72-66 win against the Southern Jaguars at Gateway Center Arena on Saturday.
With the win PVAMU claimed the 2026 SWAC Men’s Basketball Tournament championship title and secured the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Prairie View A&M had four players score in double figures led by Lance Williams, who had 18 points and five assists. Cory Wells tacked on 16 points, six rebounds and three blocks, while Dontae Horne added 15 points, five assists and four steals.
Corey Dunning pulled down five offensive rebounds to lead the Prairie View A&M offense, which grabbed 10 boards on the offensive glass and turned them into 10 second-chance points.
Michael Jacobs paced the Jaguars offensive attack tallying a team-high 19 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field. SU’s AJ Barnes contributed18 points on 6-of-12 shooting for the floor and Cam Amboree scored ten points to round out the list of Southern double-digit contributors.
After jumping out to a 24-17 advantage, Prairie View A&M went on a 10-0 run with 7:23 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Wells to increase its lead to 34-17.
Southern would later trim some of the Panthers’ lead, but PVAMU entered halftime with a double-digit advantage at 41-28. Prairie View A&M relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down six shots to account for 18 of its 41 points.
Prairie View A&M started tacking on points in the second half almost immediately, going on a 6-0 run finished off by Williams’ three to increase the Panthers’ lead to 47-28 with 18:08 to go in the contest. The Jaguars narrowed the margin late, but the Panthers held on down the stretch for the 72-66 championship victory.
PVAMU’s Horne was named Tournament Most Valuable Player, highlighting standout performances throughout the duration of tournament. He was also named to the SWAC All-Tournament Team, joined by fellow teammate Williams, who earned All-Tournament Team honors following his impressive performance in the title game.
The championship marks a major milestone for the Panthers as they now turn their focus to the national stage in the upcoming NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
All-Tournament Team
Koron Davis, Alabama A&M
Tyler Shirley, Florida A&M
Michael Jacobs, Southern
Lance Williams, Prairie View A&M
Dontae Horne, Prairie View A&M (MVP)
