The Lady Panthers continue their chase for a number one seed in the SWAC championship tournament this past weekend by winning both games played at the William “Billy” J. Nicks building this past weekend against Mississippi Valley State and Arkansas- Pine Bluff.
The Lady Panthers once again used second half dominance in their 52-43 victory Feb. 19. The first half was a close one with a total of five ties and three lead changes. The Lady Panthers went into halftime with a 23-22 lead. The first three minutes of the second half were mirror images of the first half with another tie and lead change. The last tie of the game came at the 17:03 minute mark with a 26-26 score..
They went on a 7-0 run to give themselves a comfortable 33-26 lead at the 13:44 minute mark. The Devilettes would get to within two points but eventually fell short with the loss as free throws and made field goals kept the Lady Panthers ahead. Senior guard Dominique Smith led the Lady Panthers in both scoring and rebounding with 15 points and 8 rebounds.
The Lady Golden Tigers came to visit Feb. 21 with ESPNU broadcasting to a national audience. The game was led by the Lady Panthers from start to finish. The Lady Panthers began the game on an 11-0 run in the first three and a half minutes, and led 41-13 at the break. The Lady Panthers maintained a full-throttle tempo in the second half. The final score was 99-38. All Lady Panthers that entered the game score at least three points. Senior guard Dominique Smith led all scores with 25 points and sophomore guard Latia Williams had the games’ only double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Lady Panthers’ next two games will be in Alabama as they play Alabama State on Feb. 26 and Alabama A&M on Feb. 28th. The SWAC Conference Championship Tournament begins on March 8th in Garland, Texas.