Lady Panthers bring heat in second half

The Lady Panthers basketball team is having one of its stellar years in recent years. So far the Panthers are (12-13, 10-4) and are making a lot of progress.

The Panthers are playing dominating basketball in conference play and currently are in fourth place in overall and conference records in the SWAC. One of the leading scorers so far this season, Gaati Werema, led the Lady Panthers once again last night with 17 points and 15 rebounds, her eighth double-double of the season.

The Lady Panthers have won seven of their last 10 games and in the three losses they were defeated by a combined 22 points in all three games together. Coach Cooper seems to be making the turnaround in the Lady Panthers basketball program that was much anticipated. Cooper herself has been a winner for a long time dating back to her high school days at Locke High School in California. She then moved on to be a star at USC and for the Houston Comets in the WNBA, winning four championships. The Lady Panthers can say that they have a championship coach in the making.

Cooper was hired as the women's basketball coach in May 2005, and in just her second season on the Hill, is already making a difference, putting together a Lady Panthers team that might can contend for a SWAC title. On the men's side the Panthers are struggling, putting together a 6-20 overall record with a 4-10 record in conference play. Although the Lady Panthers were victorious against the Golden Lions, the men's basketball team wasn't so lucky, losing by a mere three points, 67-70.

The Lady Panthers are playing real strong and determined basketball right now, heading into the tournament and look to be a very strong threat to the rest of the conference. Next up for both PV basketball teams is a trip to Montgomery, Ala., as they take on the Hornets of Alabama State in another conference game on Feb. 24, with the women's game beginning at 5:30 p.m. followed by the men's at 7:30 p.m.