TSU back to work after wake-up call at Prairie View
It’s been a business-like atmosphere at practice for Texas Southern this week, more than it usually is.
The team’s first loss in more than a month will do that. Maybe leaving a little bit more sting, it was to their chief rival.
TSU fell at Prairie View in a 59-55 loss Saturday, handing the Tigers their first conference loss this season.
“We took a step back the last two weeks of practice where we weren’t really practicing hard,” TSU head coach Mike Davis said. “Hopefully, it got their attention by losing a game. We played a team that was ready to play. They wanted it more than us.”
Not only was the first SWAC loss, but it halted a nine-game win streak and was the Tigers’ first loss since Dec. 29. It was Prairie View A&M second win of the season.
The Tigers were one of eight teams in Division I basketball undefeated in conference play.
The Tigers had been flirting with their first conference loss with close wins at Alabama State and Alabama A&M.
But now they have their wake-up call as March’s SWAC Tournament looms. Leaving Prairie View A&M with a win against a team hungry for a season-changing victory proved a tough task. The Panthers have had a turbulent season with a midseason coaching change from Byron Rimm to Byron Smith, who is a former TSU assistant.
“They did a good job,” Davis said. “They made everything tough on us, and we weren’t ready for the energy and effort that they brought to the table.”
TSU’s uncharacteristic shooting woes took center stage against Prairie View A&M on Saturday. The Tigers shot 28.6 percent from the field and just 9.5 percent from the 3-point line.
Davis said that was a product of the Panthers’ defense. They didn’t make a lot of easy shots available.
Three players still turned in double figures with Chris Thomas’ 16 points, Malcolm Riley’s 15 and Derrick Griffin notching his 11th double- double of the year with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
As tough as it is to lose to a rival, TSU hopes it turns into a positive.
The loss truly sticks out on the schedule. TSU (10-12, 9-1) has won six of its 10 SWAC games by at least 15 points.
The Tigers hope to rediscover the edge they had on the road during non-conference play, which in turn, led to the hot start in SWAC play.
“We hadn’t been on edge at all,” Davis said. “We hadn’t been focused. We forgot we lost all those games in non-conference and as soon as we had a little bit of success, we just thought we had it figured out. We just didn’t really fight and grind like we’re supposed to in practice. You play against a team like PV that really came out and gave great effort, it’s hard to beat them.”
The Tigers are still alone in first place in the SWAC, but a loss in this Saturday’s game against Jackson State will make things around the collar tighter. Jackson State, Alcorn State and Southern are each just two games behind.