Texas Southern's Historic Streak On The Line Against Prairie View A&M

The TSU Lady Tigers sit on top of the SWAC at 7-0.

Loudermill Scores on PVAMU / Credit: TSU Athletics

HOUSTON - The Texas Southern Lady Tigers (8-10, 7-0 SWAC) seek to extend their historic conference dominance in basketball against the Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers (5-12, 2-6 SWAC) in a crucial SWAC rivalry showdown at H&PE Arena on February 1.

The tip-off is scheduled for noon CT, marking the 88th meeting in a rivalry where TSU holds a narrow series lead of 44-43. This crosstown showdown is significant for the Lady Tigers, as they aim to improve their conference record to 8-0.

Historic Streak At Stake

• TSU’s Unprecedented Run: The Tigers are 7-0 in SWAC play, their best start since the 1980–81 season. A win would solidify their position atop the conference standings.
• Rebounding Dominance: TSU ranks 4th nationally in offensive rebounds (17.4 per game) and 11th in total rebounds (43.4), anchored by junior forward Jaida Belton (7.1 rebounds/game, 4 double-doubles).
• Defensive Prowess: The Tigers lead the SWAC in blocks (78 total, 4.9/game) and defensive rebounds (25.8/game), with Belton ranking 9th nationally in blocks.

Texas Southern Women's Basketball Coach - Vernette Skeete / Credit: Kyle T. Mosley, HBCU Legends

TEAM PROFILES

Texas Southern

Under third-year head coach Vernette Skeete, TSU has transformed into a defensive juggernaut despite being picked 9th in the SWAC preseason poll. The roster, bolstered by five transfers and two JUCO additions, leans on veteran leadership:

• Courtlyn Loudermill: Senior guard averaging a team-high 13.1 PPG.
• Aylasia Fantroy: Sophomore guard contributing 12.1 PPG and 2.2 steals/game.
• Jaida Belton: Preseason All-SWAC Second Team selection, recently surpassing 500 career rebounds.

Alyasia Fantroy / Credit: TSU Athletics

Prairie View A&M

The Panthers, led by sixth-year coach Sandy Pugh (2024 SWAC Coach of the Year at Southern), seek to salvage their season:

• Crystal Schultz: Freshman guard averages 9.5 PPG and leads the team in scoring.
• Amauri Williams: Junior center adds 9.3 PPG and 3.9 rebounds/game.
• Defensive Struggles: PVAMU allows 68.1 PPG and ranks last in the SWAC in three-point defense (.324).

Key Matchup Dynamics

• Rivalry Intensity: TSU snapped a four-game losing streak to PVAMU with an 83-70 win in their last meeting (March 9, 2024)
• Turnover Battle: TSU averages 10.3 steals per game (21st nationally), while PVAMU commits 18.6 turnovers per game.
• Three-Point Shooting: PVAMU sinks 4.9 treys per game, but TSU’s defense allows just 6.0 per game.

Game Outlook

Texas Southern’s physicality and rebounding edge should overpower a Panthers squad struggling to find consistency.

The Panthers' backcourt duo of Schultz and CJ Wilson (8.9 PPG) could test TSU’s perimeter defense.

With SWAC supremacy on the line, the Tigers’ balanced attack and home-court advantage make them favorites to extend their historic streak.

Prediction

Texas Southern 80, Prairie View A&M 69.

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ICYMI: LAST WEEK, TSU DOMINATED AAMU

Texas Southern Lady Tigers (7-10, 6-0 SWAC) kept their undefeated SWAC record alive with a commanding 75-65 victory over Alabama A&M University (11-7, 4-2 SWAC), at AAMU Event Center in Huntsville, Alabama.   After this win, TSU should be ranked in the Top 3 of HBCU women's basketball.

The Lady Tigers have won six consecutive conference games and are currently at the top of the SWAC standings.

Guard Courlyn Loudermill led the Texas Southern scorers with 16 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals in the game.  

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Aaliyah Henderson recorded 14 points, three rebounds, and a steal, and Aylasia Fantroy was active with 13 points, seven rebounds, and five steals.

Alisha Wilson was held in check for most of the game, but still registered a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds. Darian Burgin added 10 points for the home team.

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— TSU Lady Tigers Basketball (@TSUWomensHoops) January 26, 2025

After trailing 19-16 in the first quarter and 26-19 at 6:31 in the second period, Texas Southern began to asert  themselves in the paint during the second half.   

TSU outscored the AAMU, 42 to 26 points inside the box for the game which helped to turned the momentum in their favor to lead TSU 36-30 going into halftime.

Texas Southern entered the second half with a six-point lead, holding on to a 57-47 advantage by the end of the third quarter. However, in the fourth quarter, Alabama A&M began to rally by taking advantage of their strong inside game and the fouls committed by TSU.

Loudermill scores a three-pointer for Texas Southern over Alabama A&M. / Credit: TSU Lady Tigers

Whenever the Bulldogs drew closer to Texas Southern, Aylasia Fantroy made a steal, Jaida Belton grabbed a rebound, or Aaliyah Henderson scored, delivering crucial plays for the Lady Tigers.

Texas Southern produced a scoring efficiency of 43.5% from the floor, 5-for-22 from 3-point range, and 11-for-13 from the free throw line.   

Alabama A&M struggled against the TSU defense, scoring only 32.1% (18-for-56) from the field, 4-for-18 from three-point range, and just 69.4% from the free-throw line, where they visited 36 times compared to 13 for the vistors.

The Lady Bulldogs were led by Kaila Walker's game-high 18 points.  She buried two straight three-pointers to get the score within two points at 65-63 with 2:31 remaining in the contest.  

The Tigers committed 18 turnovers and the bench added 29 points in the road win.

TSU is making a strong push for top ranking at the SWAC Tournament with important games remaining on the schedule. They will still face challenging road trips as they travel to Mississippi to compete against MVSU and JSU, as well as Grambling State and Southern in Louisiana.

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