HEMPSTEAD, Texas (Interstat) — In a game defined by a brilliant individual duel and a decisive late surge, the Southern Jaguars outlasted the Prairie View A&M Panthers 87-82 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at William Nicks Building.

The contest pivoted on a critical 11-0 run by Southern midway through the second half, transforming a narrow deficit into a lead it would not relinquish. That surge, fueled by defensive stops and efficient interior scoring, ultimately neutralized a spectacular 46-point performance from Prairie View’s Dontae Horne.

Southern improved to 12-13 overall, while Prairie View fell to 9-16.

The first half was a tightly contested affair, featuring 10 lead changes and five ties. Horne, a guard from Memphis, Tennessee, was electric from the opening tip, scoring 19 points before halftime. His back-to-back 3-pointers in the game’s first minute set an aggressive tone. Southern countered with the inside presence of Terrance Dixon, who had 13 points and seven rebounds in the period. The Panthers took a slim 40-38 lead into the break after Horne sank a jumper just before the halftime buzzer.

Prairie View maintained its slight edge early in the second half, with Horne continuing to pour in points. His layup with 13 minutes and 18 seconds remaining gave the Panthers a 54-52 advantage, capping a stretch where he scored 10 of his team’s 12 points.

The game’s most important sequence began moments later. With Southern trailing 57-54, the Jaguars clamped down defensively. Over the next three minutes and 20 seconds, they held Prairie View scoreless on five consecutive possessions, forcing two turnovers. Offensively, Southern pounded the ball inside. Dixon converted a dunk, and after a Prairie View miss, Michael Jacobs drilled a 3-pointer from the wing to put Southern ahead for good. Dixon then drew a foul and made two free throws, and reserve center Malek Abdelgowad, from Cairo, Egypt, added a tough jump shot while being fouled, completing the three-point play. When the dust settled, Southern led 65-57 with 9 minutes and 46 seconds to play.

Horne single-handedly tried to will Prairie View back, scoring 12 points over the next six minutes to keep the Panthers within striking distance. His driving layup cut the Southern lead to 74-72 with 6 minutes and 39 seconds left. But each time Horne scored, Southern had an answer, usually from Dixon or Jacobs. The Jaguars never allowed Prairie View to get the stop it needed to tie the game or take the lead.

In the final two minutes, Southern sealed the victory at the free-throw line, making 9 of 10 attempts. Horne’s final points, two free throws with 11 seconds left, brought Prairie View within 85-82, but Jacobs calmly sank two more for Southern to ice the game.

Horne’s 46 points came on 14-of-29 shooting, including 4 of 10 from 3-point range, and a 14-of-16 effort from the foul line. He added three assists in 39 minutes. However, he received limited support; the rest of the Panthers combined for 36 points on 11-of-28 shooting. Lance Williams added seven points and five rebounds.

Dixon was the cornerstone for Southern, finishing with 24 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. Jacobs, from Atlanta, contributed 15 points, three assists and three steals. Guard Cam Amboree of Pearland, Texas, scored 16 points, all in the second half, and was perfect on eight free-throw attempts. Abdelgowad provided a crucial spark off the bench with 11 points in just seven minutes.

Southern’s victory was built on efficiency and interior dominance. The Jaguars scored 50 points in the paint, compared to 34 for Prairie View, and out-rebounded the Panthers on the offensive glass 10-4, leading to 13 second-chance points. Southern also attempted 33 free throws, making 25, while Prairie View was 25 of 32 from the line.

The win avenged an 89-85 home loss to Prairie View on Jan. 5 and extended Southern’s winning streak to four games. The Jaguars next play at Texas Southern on Monday. Prairie View, which has lost three of its last four, hosts Grambling on Monday.

The game drew an attendance of 1,001 to the William Nicks Building.