GARLAND, Texas – Jourdan DeMuynck got into a zone and completely took over the game for Prairie View A&M in a 88-75 win over Jackson State to advance to the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament Championship game for the first time since 1998.
The senior guard went off for a career-high 37 points under the increased pressure of the SWAC Tournament Semifinal game. He scored 26 of his points in the second half as Prairie View A&M turned to him to create havoc and mismatches as the team coasted in the second half.
DeMuynck had a career day, but he didn’t win the game single-handedly for the Panthers. Carl Blair and Montrael Scott were pivotal in shaping the outcome of the game. Blair recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists, while Scott went off for 18 points, five assists, six rebounds and one steal. Scott was also a game-changer defensively, disrupting plays as he took advantage of increased minutes and a start on the big stage.
The Panthers increased their lead to 10 points at 56-45 with 11:33 thanks to a Montrael Scott layup through contact and the foul. The team used a 9-4 run to take control of the game in the second half.
Prairie View A&M went on a 16-6 run that spanned from the end of the first half through the beginning of the second half. The Panthers started the second half out on a 9-4 run thanks to the defensive pressure of Scott and a few timely shots by DeMuynck. DeMuynck had five points during the stretch, and he hit Jules Montgomery for an assist which gave Prairie View A&M a 43-35 lead with 17:19 left.
Prairie View A&M got production from the usual suspects in the first half. DeMuynck had 11 points and two steals at the half, while point guard Carl Blair had four points and five assists.
PV has only been in the SWAC Basketball Tournament Championship once since 1998 as they defeated TSU in a memorable second half comeback in Dallas. At stake tomorrow afternoon is a berth to the 2013 NCAA Tournament as the Panthers have not participated in “The Big Dance” since 1998.
The Panthers will play the winner of Alabama A&M and Southern at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland. The contest will be televised live on ESPN2 and heard live on KPVU 91.3 FM.
