Despite starting the conference play off on a five game winning streak, the men’s basketball team dropped two critical road games this past weekend to Mississippi Valley State University and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
The Panthers, in the midst of conference play, traveled east looking to push their 9-9 record past the .500 mark for the season. With only a game separating Prairie View A&M from Alabama State and the first place SWAC standings spot, Coach Rimm and the squad really needed to play solid ball on the road. The Panthers had been winning games big during the first five contests by playing tough, hard nose defensive basketball. The team bounced between mostly the 1-2-1-1 full court press and man-to-man defense to create turnovers for easy buckets. PVAMU hoped during their road trip that they would see more of the same.
On Saturday, Jan. 24 the Panthers stopped by Itta Bena , Miss. to take on Mississippi Valley State. The Panthers played a solid first half, as they were tied with the Delta Devils at the halfway point. However, the Panthers committed 23 turnovers, and were outscored 41-23 by the Delta Devils in the second half. The Devils sliced the Prairie View defense up in the second period, shooting 54 percent from the field and 43 percent from the three-point line. As the game went on, it seemed that junior forward Eric Petty (MVSU) was too much for the Panthers to handle, as he totaled 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Christopher Jones had a nice game for the Panthers scoring 11 points and adding five rebounds. Freshman guard Tim Meadows also posted a surprising nine rebounds, along with five points for the Panthers. With the 67-49 win over the Panthers, MVSU improved to only 2-17 on the season.
After suffering an 18-point loss in Itta Bena, the Panthers then traveled to Pine Bluff, Ark. to take on the Golden Lions. The Panthers again played a hard first half against the UAPB Lions ending the first half tied at 29, but this time the Panthers came out strong in the second half and kept it interesting all the way through.
PVAMU quickly grabbed the second half lead on a Dorian McDaniel steal and Derek Johnson lay-up. The Panthers nestled the lead for a couple of hard fought minutes until an Eric Brooks jumper went through the rim for a Pine Bluff 39-38 lead. The Golden Lions would never surrender the lead again even though the Panthers stayed within striking distance losing the game by a final count of 67-62.
The Panthers’ failure to convert from the free throw line consistently played a major role in their inability to score down the stretch, shooting a staggering 16-33 (49 percent) from the line. The Panthers also launched 17 three-pointers only connecting on six, while UAPB shot 10 and connected on three.
UAPB’s Terrance Calvin checked in 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists to lead the Golden Lions while both seniors Derek Johnson and J.C. Shivers scored 11 points for the Panthers. Jones also added 10 points and 7 rebounds for the Panthers in a losing effort.
The Panthers are still in good shape after dropping the last two games to conference foes. They currently sit second in the SWAC with a record of 5-2, which is their best start in over five years of conference play.
The men’s basketball team will now return home on Jan. 31, as they have a big showdown with the conference’s first place Alabama State Hornets in the William J. Nicks Dome at 7:30. Monday, they will face off with the Alabama A&M Bulldogs who are currently tied for second place with Prairie View A&M.