PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas — Texas Southern used a dominant third quarter to pull away from Prairie View A\&M, securing a 72–63 victory Saturday afternoon at William Nicks Building.
The Lady Tigers broke open a tightly contested game by outscoring Prairie View 24–19 in the third quarter, turning a six‑point halftime lead into a double‑digit advantage that proved too much for the Panthers to overcome.
After the teams finished the first quarter deadlocked at 13–13, Texas Southern began to seize momentum late in the second period. Daeja Holmes sparked an 11–5 run over the final two minutes, knocking down a pull‑up jumper before Da'Myiah Lewis connected on a key 3 with 2 minutes remaining to push the Tigers ahead 32–21. Prairie View answered late, but Texas Southern carried a 32–26 lead into halftime.
The turning point came early in the third quarter as the Lady Tigers opened the half with renewed defensive energy and offensive efficiency. Holmes drilled a 3‑pointer just 12 seconds into the quarter, and following consecutive defensive stops, the Tigers capitalized in transition. A fast‑break layup by Taliyah Logwood and another deep 3 from Holmes stretched the lead to double figures.
Texas Southern continued to apply pressure on both ends, forcing turnovers and converting second chance opportunities. Midway through the third, Holmes scored eight points in a three‑minute span, including a fast break layup that gave the Tigers their largest lead of the game at 56–43. Holmes finished the frame with 13 points as TSU shot 50 percent from the field in the period.
Prairie View attempted to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to eight on multiple occasions, but Texas Southern responded each time with timely stops and key possessions. A put back by Logwood and free throws from Ayanna Jackson steadied the Tigers as the Panthers tried to gain momentum.
With just over five minutes remaining, Holmes delivered another critical moment, picking off a passing lane and finishing on the break to push the lead back to nine.Texas Southern closed out the win at the free throw line, holding off the Panthers' final push and maintaining control in the closing minutes.
Holmes led all scorers with 34 points on 12-17 shooting, including 5‑7 from beyond the arc. Lewis added a double‑double with 10 points and 14 rebounds, while Logwood contributed nine points and a strong defensive presence. The Lady Tigers finished with a 48–36 rebounding advantage and outscored Prairie View 39–7 in bench points.
