Panthers gain edge in SWAC opener
Sluggish Tigers come up short in showdown in first game since Dec. 21
If a conference opener for both teams can be considered a showdown, then Monday’s meeting between Texas Southern and Prairie ViewA&Mfits the bill.
They are the SWAC heavyweights. TSU is the preseason pick by league coaches to win the regular-season title. Prairie View has won back-to-back regular-season championships.
Prairie View landed the first blow of the 2021 conference season at the Nicks Building, protecting the Panthers’ home court. The Panthers withstood a late charge to fend off the Tigers 73-67.
Hot-shooting Jawaun Daniels put up 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting, and Cam Mack delivered with 15 points and nine assists for the Panthers (2-4, 1-0).
“Texas Southern is so talented,” fifthyear Panthers coach Byron Smith said. “It was a battle. TSU will be a force in our league. It’s definitely a great win over a team that is picked to win it all.”
The Tigers’ last lead of the game was 5-4 with 16:32 remaining in the half.
D’ Re ll Roberts, who sparked the Panthers off the bench collected 14 points and five rebounds.
“We got some guys who could score tonight,” Smith said. “That was huge.”
Daniels redshirted last season and is flourishing as a go-to scorer. The 6foot-7 wing was 3 of 5 on 3-pointers.
“He shot the ball really well off of penetration,” Smith said.
The Panthers led by as much as 17 after Roberts’ layup had given his team a 50-33 lead with 16:14 left in the game. But the Tigers (2-6, 0-1), behind a strong second half from Michael Weathers, pulled to within six on a 3-pointer by Galen Alexander with 12 seconds remaining.
“You got to be better, you can’t get down 17 against good teams,” Tigers third-year coach Johnny Jones said. “We did continue to battle but unfortunately we dug a hole for ourselves because we didn’t defend as well as we needed to and they knocked down some timely shots as well.”
Weathers scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half. Alexander collected 15 points and nine rebounds as the Tigers outrebounded the Panthers 33-31.
Turnovers and poor free-throw shooting hindered TSU. The Tigers missed 14 of their first 25 free throws, finishing 23 of 40. The Tigers committed 23 turnovers. The Panthers had 18.
“You certainlywant to play your best against Prairie Viewand we were not at our best when it was needed,” Jones said. “We missed free throws and had turnovers. That’s not a good combination and they had some easy scoring opportunities off our turnovers. Those things hurt us.”
The Panthers led by as many as 15 while building a 40-28 halftime advantage. In the opening half, the 6-foot-7 Roberts scored 11 points in 10 minutes with all 11 coming in his first seven minutes.
Ignited by a 13-2 run, Prairie View went ahead38-23 on a 3-pointer by Jeremiah Gambrell with 3:26 to play. The Panthersmatched that lead at 41-25 on a Dewayne Cox layup at the 1:35 mark.
Alexander kept TSU in the game in the first half with 10 points and five rebounds. But the Tigerswere plagued by poor free-throw shooting in the first half, making only 5 of 12. The Panthers made all five of their foul shots in the half.
The two teams originally were scheduled to have played this past Saturday, butCOVID-19 related issues within the TSU program steered the muchanticipated game to be played two nights later.
Both teams have been dealing with COVID-19 this season. Prairie View was playing for the first time since Dec. 30 and TSU saw game action for the first time since Dec. 21.
Since 2013, TSU is 12-7 against Prairie View, and over the past seven meetings Prairie View has won four. Jones is 2-4 against Smith, who is 7-5 against TSU.