Preview: Prairie View A&M Panthers at Alcorn State Braves

LORMAN, Miss. (Interstat) — Two SWAC men’s basketball teams on opposite ends of the conference standings will meet Monday afternoon when the Prairie View A&M Panthers visit the struggling Alcorn State Braves at the Davey Whitney Complex.

The Panthers (8-10) enter the contest looking to rebound from a narrow 82-78 road loss at Jackson State on Saturday. Despite the defeat, Prairie View has shown improved form in SWAC play, winning three of its last five conference games.

Prairie View’s offense is powered by guard Dontae Horne, who is coming off a career-high 38-point performance in the loss to Jackson State. Over his last seven games, Horne is averaging 18.7 points, including a 24-point outing at LSU and a 21-point game in a win at Southern. His backcourt mate, Cory Wells, added 23 points against Jackson State, giving the Panthers a potent scoring duo.

Alcorn State (2-14) seeks any positive momentum after a heartbreaking 72-71 home loss to Texas Southern on Saturday. The Braves have lost 12 of their last 13 games, with their lone win in that stretch a 64-62 victory at Alabama A&M on Jan. 10. Their schedule has been arduous, featuring road losses at power conference programs like Baylor, Iowa State, LSU and Mississippi.

Guard Shane Lancaster has been a bright spot for Alcorn State, scoring 21 points in a close loss at Jackson State and 15 points at Alabama State earlier this month. The Braves will need a significant defensive effort to contain Horne and slow a Prairie View team averaging 78.3 points in its last three outings.

Historically, games in this series are tightly contested. The Panthers will aim to capitalize on their superior record and recent offensive output, while the Braves desperately need a home victory to build confidence as the SWAC schedule deepens.

Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CST. Following this game, Prairie View will host Alabama State on Jan. 24, while Alcorn State travels to face Florida A&M on the same date.