Prairie View A&M Makes History: Panthers Win SWAC Title as No. 8 Seed, Punch NCAA Tournament Ticket

ATLANTA β€” In a historic first for the Southwestern Athletic Conference, Prairie View A&M became the first No. 8 seed to ever win four consecutive games and claim the SWAC Tournament Championship, defeating No. 3 seed Southern 72-66 in an electrifying title game that came down to the final seconds.

The Panthers came out firing from the opening tip, with Dontae Horne scoring first on a hook shot before Cory Wells energized the crowd with a thunderous dunk. Tai'Reon Joseph sparked the early run with two three-pointers, helping Prairie View build a double-digit lead. Lance Williams added crucial second-chance baskets and fast-break scores as the Panthers' aggressive defense forced multiple Southern turnovers.

Despite late first-half efforts from Southern's Michael Jacobs and AJ Barnes, Prairie View closed the half with authority on a deep step-back three from Horne, taking a commanding 41-28 lead into the locker room.

Panthers Build Commanding Lead

The second half appeared to be heading toward a comfortable Panthers victory as Prairie View extended their advantage to as many as 22 points. Three-pointers from Wells and Williams pushed the lead to 47-28, and the Panthers continued to answer every Southern push with timely baskets, including a key three from Elijah Mitchell and steady interior play from Wells.

But Southern refused to surrender. Led by Cam Amboree and Jacobs, the Jaguars mounted a furious comeback.

Clutch Plays Seal Championship

The final 30 seconds were pure drama. After Amboree missed a three-pointer, Southern capitalized on a Prairie View turnover as Barnes set up Terrance Dixon Jr. for a layup, cutting the lead to just 68-66 with 24 seconds left. But Horne delivered when it mattered most, driving for a clutch layup with 18 seconds remaining. After Amboree's driving layup attempt fell short, Horne sealed the championship with a fast-break layup in the final seconds.

For Southern, Jacobs led all scorers with 19 points and nine assists, while Barnes recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the comeback effort.

The victory marks Prairie View's first SWAC title since 2019 and sends the Panthers dancing to the NCAA Tournament, where they'll look to continue their improbable championship run on college basketball's biggest stage.

Originally reported by HBCU Gameday.