Louis Munks and Ryan Gesiakowskicombined to score 44 points as Prairie View A&M built a 16-point halftime lead and held off a late charge by Texas Southern in a 73-67 victory before a capacity crowd of 5,400 in the Baby Dome.Ahead 21-19 with 8:32 remaining, Prairie View broke the game open with a 13-3 run as Munks scored five points during the run. TSU got to within 10 with 4:08 remaining following a Keithtrick Denson layup but the Panthers went into the half up by 16 as sophomore forward Jules Montgomery nailed a basket with no time remaining in regulation to cap off a 6-0 surge.
Similar to Monday’s second half against Alabama A&M, the Panthers got off to another slow start as TSU outscored them 13-2 in the first four minutes to draw within five 42-37. Prairie View’s Ronald Wright ended the drought with a basket at the 16:08 mark but TSU got to within five once again following a tip-in from Tim Price with 13:09 remaining.
From that point, Prairie View A&M responded with a 9-0 run as Jourdan DeMuynck and Ryan Gesiakowskiboth hit a pair of baskets for a 53-39 lead. The Panthers remained ahead by double digits for the next four minutes until TSU’s Dexter Ellington and Madarious Gibbs combined to hit three straight jumpers which drew59-53. However, TSU’s Omar Strong answered on the ensuing possession as his trey cut TSU’s deficit to three (59-56) with 4:09 left.
With their backs against the wall, Gesiakowski came to PV’s rescue with consecutive baskets over the next two minutes to up PV’s lead to 63-56. TSU’s Strong missed a trey on the next possession and PV’s Demondre Chapman scored a layup following the miss to move the Panthers’ lead to nine at 65-56 at the 2:18 mark.
TSU would draw to within five on three occasions over the next two minutes but the Panthers were clutch from the free throw line as they went 4-of-4 from the charity stripe. Strong nailed his sixth and final trey of the evening to close within four points with 15 seconds left but Munks put an exclamation mark at the end of regulation as his one-handed thunder dunk off a TSU turnover ended PV’s four-game losing streak to TSU.
Munks led the Panthers with 23 points while Gesiakowski followed with 21 points. Chapman also tallied 13 points while DeMuynck led the Panthers with 10 points and seven rebounds. TSU was led by Strong with 19 points.
The Panthers return to action on Saturday as they host Jackson State at 5 p.m. in the Baby Dome.
the Tigers to within three at 56-53 with 4:45 left. Sensing the momentum shift, Gesiakowski hit a huge trey following Ellington’s trey to give PV a two-possession lead at