HEMPSTEAD, Texas (Interstat) — Two SWAC teams looking to gain momentum in conference play will meet Saturday when the Prairie View A&M Panthers host the Alabama State Hornets at the William Nicks Building.

Prairie View (8-11, 3-3 SWAC) enters the contest following a heartbreaking 76-75 road loss to Alcorn State on Monday. The Panthers have shown a potent offense in SWAC play, averaging 78.3 points in their six conference games, but have lost two straight.

The Panthers are led by dynamic guard Dontae Horne, who is coming off a spectacular two-game stretch. Horne scored 32 points in the loss to Alcorn State and poured in a career-high 38 points in a narrow 82-78 defeat at Jackson State last Saturday. Over his last three SWAC contests, Horne is averaging 29.3 points.

Alabama State (5-12, 2-3) also seeks to bounce back from a Monday loss, falling 73-69 to Alabama A&M. The Hornets have struggled for consistency, alternating wins and losses over their past five games.

Guard Jerquarius Stanback is a key player for the Hornets. He led the team with 20 points in the loss to Alabama A&M and is averaging 9.6 points per game in conference play. Forward Micah Simpson, who dished out nine assists in that game, provides a facilitating presence.

Historically, the home court has been significant in this series. Prairie View holds a 5-11 overall record but has won three of the last five meetings in Hempstead. Both teams are in the middle of the SWAC standings and will view this as a crucial opportunity to climb the table.

The game tips off at 5:30 p.m. CST Saturday. Prairie View will look to leverage Horne’s hot hand and its home court advantage, while Alabama State aims to counter with a more balanced attack and secure a valuable road conference victory.