Prairie View A&M’s improbable March run reached a historic crescendo Saturday night as the eighth-seeded Panthers defeated Southern 72-66 to win the SWAC Tournament and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Lance Williams led Prairie View (18-17) with 18 points, five assists, and four rebounds while playing all 40 minutes. Tournament MVP Dontae Horne added 15 points, five assists, and three rebounds, while Cory Wells scored 11. Southern (17-17) got 18 points from AJ Barnes, who also grabbed 10 rebounds.
Prairie View became the first team in SWAC history to win four tournament games to claim the title, surviving a taxing schedule of contests that included wins earlier in the week over regular-season champion Bethune-Cookman and Alcorn State before the final against Southern.
Prairie View clicked at the right time
The Panthers jumped out to a 41-28 halftime lead behind 15-of-31 field goal shooting (48.4%) and six 3-pointers. They stretched the advantage to 22 points midway through the second half before Southern responded with a furious 25-9 run that pulled the Jaguars within two at 68-66 with 24 seconds left on a Terrance Dixon Jr. layup.
Horne took over in the clutch, scoring a fast-break layup off a turnover to seal the win.
Head coach Byron Smith said afterward it felt like his team finally clicked at the right time, calling his players “super resilient” and “quality young men” who saved their best basketball for the final three weeks of the season. The title is the program’s third SWAC tournament crown.
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Williams said he was still trying to process the moment. “Hey man, we just won. That’s crazy,” he said, describing the win as an almost out-of-body experience but adding that he was not surprised because of how hard the team practiced. “I don’t feel like anybody deserved it but us, to be honest with you.”
For Williams, a Baton Rouge native who did not receive an offer from Southern, the stakes felt personal.
“When you counted out or when you looked over and you feel like you didn’t get what you deserve, you know it puts a chip on your shoulder,” he said. “I came in with a chip on my shoulder right here.”
Panthers had to get it out the mud
Smith’s roster is built heavily through the transfer portal, but he noted that his program operates with limited NIL resources. He was blunt when asked about winning a championship without the NIL backing that many Division I schools now enjoy.
“Obviously, the NIL is something that’s a little bit slow at Prairie View,” Smith said. He added that he hopes the outcome of the season can help change that, but he also pointed to his players as proof that “the love of the game” still matters. He said the program is not paying Horne or Williams “one penny,” and while he believes they deserve to be compensated and looked after, they chose Prairie View largely for the opportunity and the fit.
Horne spoke emotionally about why he stayed despite limited financial incentives at Prairie View.
“I just love basketball,” he said. “I didn’t need any money. I just wanted to go out and prove that I’m like that.”
The championship adds to a surge of success across Prairie View A&M athletics. Smith said he is well aware that the football team recently won the SWAC title and that head coach Tremaine Jackson reminds everyone of it regularly. Smith joked that he tried to send Jackson a video of himself singing the school’s “Atlanta” chant, but that his voice was too hoarse after the tournament.
He also noted recent championships in volleyball, golf, bowling and track, saying the school has “some good things going on here for sure.”
What’s next for NCAA Tournament-bound Prairie View?
As confetti settled on the floor in Georgia, attention turned quickly to what comes next. Prairie View’s win secured its place in the NCAA Tournament, where the Panthers are expected to be one of the lower seeds. Smith said the team would enjoy the moment and likely celebrate into Sunday before getting “back to the drawing board.”
Williams said there would be no sweeping changes as they prepare for March Madness.
“No adjustments. Just get better,” he said, adding that while some may view the SWAC tournament run as a Cinderella story, the Panthers see it as the start of something larger.
“We just got our foot in the door,” he said.
