COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (Interstat) — Dontae Horne scored 25 points and Prairie View A&M used a dominant first half to cruise past Alabama A&M 74-55 on Friday afternoon in a Southwestern Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament quarterfinal at Gateway Center Arena.

The seventh-seeded Panthers (17-17) avenged a 20-point regular-season loss to the second-seeded Bulldogs just six weeks prior, advancing to face the winner of the Texas Southern and Grambling game in Saturday’s semifinal round.

The most important part of the game was Prairie View’s suffocating first-half defense, which set the tone for the wire-to-wire victory. The Panthers held Alabama A&M to just 21 points on 7-of-28 shooting before halftime, forcing eight turnovers and blocking three shots. That defensive effort fueled a 36-21 lead at the break that the Bulldogs never seriously threatened.

Horne, a 6-foot-4 guard from Memphis, Tennessee, was the catalyst, adding six assists and five rebounds in 38 minutes. He consistently broke down the Alabama A&M defense, scoring at the rim and setting up teammates. His backcourt partner, Lance Williams, contributed 18 points, while Cory Wells added 17 points and seven rebounds. Corey Dunning anchored the interior with 10 rebounds and two blocks.

Prairie View’s offense was efficient, shooting 52% from the field and scoring 44 points in the paint. They also capitalized on Alabama A&M’s mistakes, scoring 13 points off 10 Bulldog turnovers. The Panthers’ offensive rating of 115.9 on 64 possessions underscored their effective night.

Alabama A&M (18-15), which had beaten Texas Southern in overtime less than 24 hours earlier, struggled to find any offensive rhythm. The Bulldogs shot just 33% for the game and a dismal 50% from the free-throw line, missing 12 of their 24 attempts. James Graham led them with 18 points, and Kintavious Dozier scored 12. Sami Pissis dished out six assists but the team managed only five total assists against 10 turnovers.

The Bulldogs briefly cut the deficit to 13 points early in the second half, but Horne answered with a layup and two free throws to push the lead back to 17. Alabama A&M never got closer than 15 points the rest of the way.

The victory extends Prairie View’s winning streak to five games and marks a significant turnaround from their mid-season form. The Panthers, who were 8-12 at one point, have now won nine of their last 14 games. Horne has been central to that surge, averaging over 24 points per game during the current win streak.

Alabama A&M’s season ends with the loss. They had entered the tournament having won three of their last four.

The announced attendance at the neutral-site arena was 1,029. The game’s total points fell well under the betting over/under line of 142.5.