SWAC Basketball: Prairie View’s Lady Panthers Claim 4th Straight Title

Prairie View A&M 63, Texas Southern 58

Last years SWAC basketball tournament champions, Prairie View A&M, picked up its fourth consecutive championship title with a close 63-58 upset over in-state rival and No. 2 seed Texas Southern on Saturday at Toyota Center.

Jeanette Jackson fueled PVAMU (14-17), scoring 22 points, shooting a perfect 10 from the free throw line. She added four assists and one steal before being crowned the 2014 Toyota SWAC Basketball Tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

LaReahn Washington posted 10 of PVAMU’s 31 points in the first half and finished with 22.

The Lady Panthers trailed by five with 8:52 left on the clock in the first half but a three-pointer by Washington and a jumper by Alexus Parker gave the Lady Panthers their first lead of the half. A three by TSU’s Jazzmin Parker lifted the Lady Tigers to within one but Washington knocked down another three to put the Lady Panthers ahead 31-29 at halftime.

As both teams exchanged back-to-back baskets after the break, Jackson scored to even the game at 51 with 5:38 to go in the game. The Lady Panthers jumped on a 5-0 run creating a gap that the Lady Tigers were unable to close in the final minutes.

For the first time in program history, TSU (20-12) made its debut in the SWAC Basketball Tournament.

The Lady Tigers shot 38 percent from the floor, 40 percent (6-15) from behind the arc and connected on 10 of their 16 shots from the line.

This year’s Women’s SWAC Basketball Player of the Year, Jazzmin Parker, scored 20 points to pace the Lady Tigers while Alexus Johnson scored 16 points and was one of five to make the All-Tournament team. Second Team All-SWAC recipient, Morgan Simmons, snatched a game-high 18 boards in the loss.

SWAC Basketball Tournament MVP

Jeanette Jackson, Prairie View A&M

ALL Tournament Team

Dominique Brothern, Jackson State
Alexus Johnson, Texas Southern
Brianna Sidney, Texas Southern
Jazzmin Parker, Texas Southern
Shamiya Brooks, Prairie View A&M

Source: SWAC.org