Prairie View A&M Rallies Past Lehigh To Advance In NCAA Tournament
The Prairie View Panthers secured a convincing 67–55 victory over the Lehigh Mountain Hawks in their First Four matchup. How far will Prairie View A&M advance in the NCAA Tournament?
Lehigh Takes the Initiative
Lehigh dominated the majority of the first half. They played aggressively on both ends of the floor to generate momentum. The Mountain Hawks led by as many as 8 points throughout the half.
One of the early players also making a splash was Forward Hank Alvey. He had 10 points and 9 rebounds in the first half. His presence continued to keep Lehigh ahead 29-27 at the break.
Nonetheless, Prairie View A&M’s defense started to make its presence felt. The Panthers successfully limited Lehigh’s leading scorer, Nasir Whitlock, holding him scoreless throughout the first half. This defense would turn out to be a turning point in the game.
Prairie View A&M Panthers Seize Control
The momentum shifted dramatically after halftime as Prairie View A&M turned the tide of battle. The Panthers outscored Lehigh 40-26 in the second half due to better offense and constant defense pressure.
This was a decisive move at the beginning of the half since Prairie View A&M began with an 8-1 streak that enabled them to seize the lead and never look back. Their defensive pressure increased significantly, forcing Lehigh into difficult possessions and disrupting their offensive rhythm.
Turnovers became a major factor in the outcome. The second half saw Lehigh make 10 turnovers as opposed to 1 by Prairie View A&M. The Panthers took advantage of these errors and turned them into fast-break points, and continued to build on their lead. Moreover, the defense of Prairie View A&M performed 12 steals and provoked several shot-clock violations, which also demonstrates their superiority on that side of the field.
Dontae Horne Takes the Initiative
Guard Dontae Horne played a terrific game, and all his 25 points were made in the second half. His offensive outburst utterly altered the direction of the match, and his defensive role, with 7 rebounds and 4 steals, served to contribute to the revival of the Panthers.
Cory Wells was also instrumental, as he notched a double-double. He also contributed 3 blocks and 3 steals, which puts the team at both ends of the floor. Lance Williams contributed 10 points and had a pivotal defensive moment late in the game, blocking a Lehigh layup.
What’s Next
The victory makes Prairie View A&M the No. 16 seed in the South Region. The Panthers will have to play the No. 1 seed, the Florida Gators men’s basketball, on March 20 in Tampa, Florida.
After an impressive performance in the second half, Prairie View A&M will seek to bring the same performance into a tough game against one of the best teams in the tournament. Prairie View A&M will seek to bring the same performance into a tough game against one of the best teams in the tournament.
