Prairie View was not considered among the favorites to make a run to the SWAC Tournament championship game a week ago.
At most, the Panthers were viewed as a possible sleeper that could win a round or two.
But after knocking off No. 1 seed Bethune-Cookman and then dismantling Alabama A&M in the semifinal round on Friday, it is no longer a Cinderella run.
Prairie View has made a statement that it is championship legit.
When asked by a reporter whether they were on asked on fairy tale run, Smith replied, “Well, I kind of grew up in the ghetto. So, can you refresh my memory about Cinderella?
He added, “In Kobe Bryant’s words, ‘jobs unfinished. Uh, obviously got one more to go, but I definitely think this is a bit of a surprise to some people. Not to us.”
Panthers blitz Alabama A&M
The Panthers were hitting on all cylinders in a 74-55 win over the Bulldogs.
Dontae Horne, who has been a star in the tournament, posted a game-high 25 points and six assists. Guard Lance Williams added 18 points, while Cory Wells chipped in 17 points. The trio combined to account for 81 percent of the team’s points on the night.
On the defensive end, the Panthers were just as impressive, limiting Alabama A&M to 33.3 percent shooting from the field.
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“We beat the quality basketball team Alabama A&M,” said Smith. “We knew we had a work cut out for us, but super proud of our guys to come in and get a convincing win like this in the semifinal game.”
The almost forgotten Tai’Reon Joseph, who had been working his way back after recovering from an injury, indicated that the team is always looking to get better with each outing.
Prairie View ready for championship showdown
”You got quality scorers like these three guys, said Smith. A lot of people have forgotten about Tai’Ron, but once upon a time, he was the fourth-ranked scorer in the nation. And then obviously Cory Wells, who I said… he’s the best two-way player in the league.
“Players make plays, but we try to put these guys in position if we just continue to share the basketball any given night, either one of these three guys can get 20 plus points.”
Now the Panthers will turn their attention to the SWAC championship game — a round the program hasn’t been in since 2021 — and have won since 2019.
“Their (the players) adrenaline is going to be pretty good, said Smith. They’re definitely going to seize it.”
