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Prairie View sits all alone at the top
Panthers top Alcorn to bag SWAC title
By RICHARD DEAN
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
PRAIRIE VIEW -- Prairie View A&M wasn't in a sharing mood. However, the Panthers were quite festive.
Not content with owning a share of its first Southwestern Athletic Conference title in 41 years, Prairie View A&M captured the outright championship with a 75-64 victory over Alcorn State on Saturday night at the Baby Dome.
The win set off a wild celebration at center court.
Under first-year coach Jerome Francis Jr., the school's basketball program is reaching heights not seen since the 1961-62 team won the SWAC regular-season title on its way to capturing the NAIA national championship.
The 1998 team won the SWAC tournament and made the school's only NCAA Tournament appearance, but that team finished in the second division of the conference. But not this year's squad, which sits atop the league standings and is hungry for more.
"We wanted to win it outright," said Panthers senior guard Greg Burks, who scored a game-high 27 points. "Everything coach said would happen, happened.
"He told us in the preseason and throughout the season, listen to him. He said if we do what he asks us to do, it would pay off in the end, and it has."
Saturday's victory also means Prairie View A&M (16-11, 14-4) will be the top seed in the SWAC tournament and host Southern in a first-round game Tuesday.
"It's been over 40 years of Panther basketball, and we've been struggling a long time," Francis said. "This is a great thing for the Panthers."
Seconds after the game ended, Panthers player and coaches had donned T-shirts with "2002-2003 SWAC Champions" emblazoned across the front.
"I'm so happy for coach, I'm so happy for the program, I'm so happy for the guys, so happy for the Prairie View family," PV's Malachi Thurston said. "Hard work, hard work definitely paid off."
The Panthers won the game with defense and by withstanding a late Alcorn State charge.
Prairie View saw a 15-point first-half lead dwindle to three -- 65-62 with 3:12 remaining in the game, but the Panthers held off the challenge from the Braves, playing their final game under coach Davey Whitney.
Whitney is retiring after 27 years with Alcorn State. The Braves qualified for the conference tournament.
Burks, who made four free throws in the final 2:28, was 8-of-16 from the field and 9-of-9 from the foul line.
Thurston added 20 points for the Panthers while Blannon Campbell had five steals for the Panthers, who won their fifth consecutive game.
Prairie View A&M was picked to finish ninth in the 10-team league in a preseason poll.
"The people that picked, they don't know the SWAC," said Panthers swingman Kevin Cooper. "We knew the whole time, with all the hard work we were putting in, we could make it happen."
Brian Jackson had a team-high 22 points and 13 rebounds for Alcorn State (12-18, 10-8), which received 16 points from Myles Howard.
After spotting Alcorn State a 2-0 lead, the Panthers went on a 13-0 run to take command. Burks scored nine of the Panthers' points and a 3-pointer from Thurston gave the Panthers a 13-2 advantage with 14:26 left in the opening half.
The Panthers eventually built their advantage to 15 points and led 37-25 at halftime. The Panthers' largest first-half lead was 33-18 with 1:56 remaining following a basket from Brandon Moorer.
Panthers top Alcorn to bag SWAC title
By RICHARD DEAN
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
PRAIRIE VIEW -- Prairie View A&M wasn't in a sharing mood. However, the Panthers were quite festive.
Not content with owning a share of its first Southwestern Athletic Conference title in 41 years, Prairie View A&M captured the outright championship with a 75-64 victory over Alcorn State on Saturday night at the Baby Dome.
The win set off a wild celebration at center court.
Under first-year coach Jerome Francis Jr., the school's basketball program is reaching heights not seen since the 1961-62 team won the SWAC regular-season title on its way to capturing the NAIA national championship.
The 1998 team won the SWAC tournament and made the school's only NCAA Tournament appearance, but that team finished in the second division of the conference. But not this year's squad, which sits atop the league standings and is hungry for more.
"We wanted to win it outright," said Panthers senior guard Greg Burks, who scored a game-high 27 points. "Everything coach said would happen, happened.
"He told us in the preseason and throughout the season, listen to him. He said if we do what he asks us to do, it would pay off in the end, and it has."
Saturday's victory also means Prairie View A&M (16-11, 14-4) will be the top seed in the SWAC tournament and host Southern in a first-round game Tuesday.
"It's been over 40 years of Panther basketball, and we've been struggling a long time," Francis said. "This is a great thing for the Panthers."
Seconds after the game ended, Panthers player and coaches had donned T-shirts with "2002-2003 SWAC Champions" emblazoned across the front.
"I'm so happy for coach, I'm so happy for the program, I'm so happy for the guys, so happy for the Prairie View family," PV's Malachi Thurston said. "Hard work, hard work definitely paid off."
The Panthers won the game with defense and by withstanding a late Alcorn State charge.
Prairie View saw a 15-point first-half lead dwindle to three -- 65-62 with 3:12 remaining in the game, but the Panthers held off the challenge from the Braves, playing their final game under coach Davey Whitney.
Whitney is retiring after 27 years with Alcorn State. The Braves qualified for the conference tournament.
Burks, who made four free throws in the final 2:28, was 8-of-16 from the field and 9-of-9 from the foul line.
Thurston added 20 points for the Panthers while Blannon Campbell had five steals for the Panthers, who won their fifth consecutive game.
Prairie View A&M was picked to finish ninth in the 10-team league in a preseason poll.
"The people that picked, they don't know the SWAC," said Panthers swingman Kevin Cooper. "We knew the whole time, with all the hard work we were putting in, we could make it happen."
Brian Jackson had a team-high 22 points and 13 rebounds for Alcorn State (12-18, 10-8), which received 16 points from Myles Howard.
After spotting Alcorn State a 2-0 lead, the Panthers went on a 13-0 run to take command. Burks scored nine of the Panthers' points and a 3-pointer from Thurston gave the Panthers a 13-2 advantage with 14:26 left in the opening half.
The Panthers eventually built their advantage to 15 points and led 37-25 at halftime. The Panthers' largest first-half lead was 33-18 with 1:56 remaining following a basket from Brandon Moorer.
