The Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament brings together two familiar rivals as Prairie View A&M and Southern meet with a trip to the NCAA Tournament at stake on Saturday. Both programs play a fast tempo and lean heavily on dynamic guards who can score in bunches, which often leads to high-scoring meetings. That has been the case in their previous clashes this season, and with both teams coming off competitive conference runs, basketball fans can expect another entertaining Prairie View A&M vs Southern contest for the SWAC title.
Prairie View A&M arrives with confidence after a strong run through the SWAC tournament bracket. The Panthers knocked off Alcorn State and Bethune-Cookman before defeating Alabama A&M 74-55 in the semifinal round. Their defense showed improvement during that stretch, allowing fewer than 70 points in each of those victories.
Southern enters the game with one of the more productive offenses in the conference. The Jaguars average just over 80 points per game and rely on aggressive guard play that pushes the pace. The Jaguars defeated Florida A&M and Arkansas Pine Bluff in this tournament, but just by three points apiece.
Southern Jaguars
Prairie View A&M Panthers
Category | Southern | Prairie View A&M |
|---|---|---|
Points per game | 80.3 | 79.2 |
Points allowed per game | 78.1 | 76.4 |
Team Field Goal % | 46% | 44% |
Rebounds Per Game | 35.4 | 34.0 |
Assists Per Game | 15.0 | 11.9 |
This contest is one where my projections suggest to expect another high-scoring battle between two teams that play at a fast tempo and rely heavily on guard scoring. Southern holds a slight advantage in rebounding and playmaking, which could help the Jaguars control the flow during critical stretches.
Prairie View A&M has shown strong form during the tournament and has the scoring weapons to keep the game close. I will take the Panthers to cover the number here, even I project a tightly contested win for Southern when all is said and done.
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