Prairie View A&M Sweeps Texas Southern 70-59, Claims 8th Seed in SWAC Tournament

Prairie View A&M swept Texas Southern 70-59 on the road as Dontae Horne scored 26 points. The No. 8 Panthers now eye a SWAC Tournament run in Atlanta.

Prairie View A&M Sweeps Texas Southern with 70-59 Road Victory | Credit: HBCU Legends, Kyle T. Mosley

HOUSTON, Tx. — Prairie View A&M completed a season sweep of rival Texas Southern with a 70-59 victory Thursday at H&PE Arena, as guard Dontae Horne delivered an explosive offensive performance of 26 points and Cory Wells added 20 points to set the tone for the Panthers.

Prairie View A&M head coach Byron Smith credited his team's defensive identity as the catalyst for the win, saying the Panthers' ability to "guard and defend and finish great defensive possessions with rebounds" was what sparked the offense.

Dontae Horne was on fire against Texas Southern | Credit: Kyle T. Mosley - HBCU Legends on SI

Horne picked apart Texas Southern's 2-3 zone defense, repeatedly finding himself open on the wing, burying 4 three-pointers, attacking the basket, grabbing 6 rebounds, and creating scoring opportunities for his teammates with 3 assists.

"My point guard kept finding me on the wing for the three," Horne said. "Coach always told me to be confident, so I was just letting it ride."

The victory comes amid a season that Smith described as filled with adversity — from roster chemistry issues driven by the transfer portal to injuries to key contributors.

Coach Smith talks about the Panthers first-half performance vs. Texas Southern. PVAMU 38, TSU 30. @hbculegends pic.twitter.com/Uw5S6cEdyS

— Kyle T. Mosley (@ktmoze) March 6, 2026

Panthers leading scorer, Tai’Reon Joseph, who was among the top four or five scorers in the nation earlier this season, is currently battling a nagging plantar fascia injury following an earlier shoulder ailment. Smith said the team has enough depth to compensate.

Lance Williams, who orchestrated the Panthers' offense with six assists and eight rebounds in 40 minutes of floor leadership, has embraced a leadership role at the point.

"Coach Smith always preaches to me that I've got to be the dog," Williams said. "Every game I go in head first, just thinking to play my hardest and fight with my teammates as hard as I can — and the results are positive."

Cory Wells and Dontae Horne | Credit: Kyle T. Mosley - HBCU Legends on SI

ABOUT THE SWAC TOURNAMENT

Smith was cautiously optimistic heading into the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament, drawing a parallel to last season's Alabama State squad — a team that caught fire late, won the SWAC Tournament, and earned an NCAA Tournament bid.

"Maybe we can have a run like Alabama State," Smith remarked. "These guys have been through a lot of adversity. But it seems like in the last seven to ten days, we're starting to gel."

Prairie View A&M guard Lance Williams dribbles past the halfcourt line versus TSU guard Bryce Roberts. | Credit: Kyle T. Mosley - HBCU Legends on SI

Prairie View A&M will travel to Atlanta on Saturday for the 2026 Pepsi SWAC Basketball Tournament, which starts on March 9 at the Gateway Center in College Park, Georgia.  

The Panthers will open the playoffs as the No. 8 seed on March 10 in Game 3 against the winner of the No. 10 Alabama State-No. 11 Alcorn State contest.

Panthers head basketball coach Byron Smith with Ralph Cooper! Prairie View A&M swept Texas Southern this season! @PVAMU @PVAMU_MBB
📸 @hbculegends pic.twitter.com/n6ndC4RLQI

— Kyle T. Mosley (@ktmoze) March 6, 2026

Does Prairie View A&M have a chance to shock the favorites in an upset during the SWAC Tournament?   Williams stated it this way: "Keep the work consistent and just keep our foot on the gas.”