HEMPSTEAD, Texas (Interstat) — Two SWAC men’s basketball teams looking to build momentum for the conference tournament will meet Thursday when Prairie View A&M hosts Jackson State at the William Nicks Building.

The Panthers (11-17, 8-7 SWAC) and Tigers (9-18, 7-8) are separated by just one game in the league standings. Prairie View aims to protect its home court after an 84-82 road loss at Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday. Jackson State seeks to rebound from an 83-65 defeat at Alcorn State the same day.

The matchup features one of the conference’s most explosive scorers in Prairie View guard Dontae Horne. He is averaging 30.0 points over his last four games, including a 46-point outburst against Southern on Feb. 14 and a 32-point performance last time out. Containing Horne will be the primary defensive focus for Jackson State.

The Tigers counter with forward Dionjahe Thomas, who provides interior defense and scoring. Thomas is coming off a 14-point, five-rebound, four-block effort in the loss to Alcorn State. His activity around the rim will be crucial against a Panthers team that prefers to attack from the perimeter.

Jackson State won the season’s first meeting, 82-78, at home on Jan. 17. In that game, the Tigers limited Horne to 23 points, one of his lower outputs in SWAC play.

Both teams have shown inconsistency. Jackson State’s last five games include a 34-point road loss and a 29-point home win. Prairie View has alternated wins and losses over its last six contests.

With the SWAC tournament approaching, securing a higher seed is critical. A win for Prairie View would solidify its position in the upper half of the standings, while Jackson State needs a victory to keep pace and potentially leapfrog the Panthers.

Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EST Thursday. Prairie View’s next game is at home against Alcorn State on Saturday. Jackson State travels to face Texas Southern on Saturday.