Prairie View Lady Panthers upend Texas Wesleyan 69-57

HOUSTON, Texas - The Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers (3-8) snapped their two-game losing streak with a convincing 69-57 win over Texas Wesleyan (7-3) Wednesday night at the M.O. Campbell Center.

Prairie View A&M guards Kiara Etienne and JaQuandria Williams, who were teammates at Copiah-Lincoln Community College just a season ago, both scored 15 points to tie for the game high and lead the Lady Panthers to their third win of the season.

Williams, in her debut game for Prairie View A&M, was highly efficient from the field. She went 6-for-11 from the floor and was 1-for-1 from downtown. Etienne, who was averaging over 20 points over her last four games, was 7-for-13 from the field and added four rebounds and two assists.

The Lady Panthers ended the first half with a five-point, 39-34 advantage.

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Baylor sets NCAA record in blowout basketball win over PVAMU

WACO, TX — Brittney Griner and top-seeded Baylor took Prairie View to a record-breaking NCAA tournament low. Griner and Brooklyn Pope each had 17 points as the Lady Bears opened the NCAA tournament at home with the expected lopsided victory, 66-30 Sunday night when Prairie View's miserable shooting translated into the lowest-scoring half ever in the tournament.

Things couldn't have gone any worse for SWAC champion Prairie View (21-12), which missed its first 12 shots before Waco native Robin Jones finally made a layup more than 9 minutes into the game. Baylor (32-2), which plays West Virginia (24-9) on Tuesday night, already had a 16-0 lead by then.

The Lady Bears, who went to the Final Four last season when the 6-foot-8-inch Griner was a freshman, led 34-8 at halftime.

Top-seeded Baylor women pound Prairie View 66-30

WACO - The Prairie View A&M Panthers knew they faced a tall task - literally and figuratively - in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. Not only were the SWAC champions the No. 16 seed taking on a No. 1 seed (Baylor), led by 6-8 Nimitz product Brittney Griner, but they’d have to do so on the Bears’ home floor. What the Panthers didn’t expect was to struggle hitting shots - and that ultimately squashed any hopes of an upset.

The Bears eliminated the Panthers with a dominating 66-30 win before 8,368 on Sunday at the Ferrell Center. Baylor (32-2) will meet West Virginia in the second round of the Dallas Region at 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday at the Ferrell Center.

Prairie View's 8 first-half points fewest in NCAAs

WACO, Texas - Prairie View has scored the fewest points ever in a half of an NCAA women's tournament game. The SWAC champion Lady Panthers trailed top-seeded Baylor 34-8 at halftime in the first-round game Sunday night. Prairie View was 3-of-27 shooting in the first half and missed its first 12 shots before Waco native Robin Jones scored on a layup for the Lady Panthers to make it 18-2.

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16th-seeded Prairie View women to face No. 1 Baylor in tourney

The Prairie View A&M Panthers’ anxiety over learning their destination in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament disappeared mere minutes into Monday evening’s selection show on ESPN.
Their name appeared underneath first-round opponent and No. 1 seed Baylor on the flat screens at Buffalo Wild Wings in Cypress, and the attendants at the Panthers’ selection show watch party roared in jubilation.

The 16th-seeded Panthers (21-11) will start their NCAA Tournament run against the Bears (31-2) in the Dallas Region at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Ferrell Center in Waco. The winner advances to face the victor of Sunday’s earlier matchup between No. 8 seed Houston (26-5) and No. 9 seed West Virginia (23-9).



Baylor No. 1 NCAA seed at home vs. Prairie View

Baylor is a No. 1 seed for the first time and playing at home to start this year's NCAA women's tournament.

The Big 12 champion Lady Bears (31-2) open this year's tournament Sunday against SWAC champion Prairie View (21-11). If they want to make it to the Final Four for the second year in a row, there is the real possibility that they will have to beat Big 12 runner-up Texas A&M for...

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Prairie View dances back in: Panthers beat Southern to earn third NCAA bid

First-Year PVAMU Head Coach Toyelle Wilson
wins first SWAC Championship and NCAA
Division I Tournament bid.

GARLAND, TX – Once the final buzzer of the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship sounded, Prairie View A&M senior guard Dominique Smith rushed to embrace freshman guard Siarra Soliz and offer some words of encouragement.

“I’m leaving it,” Smith said. “It’s in your hands now.”

If Saturday’s championship against Southern is any indication, Smith and the rest of the seniors can rest assured that the program’s future is in good hands. Soliz scored a game-high 21 points, senior forward Robin Jones hit a go-ahead jumper with 33 seconds remaining, and the second-seeded Panthers closed the game on a 12-0 run to beat top-seeded Southern 48-44 on Saturday at the Special Events Center and capture the program’s third NCAA Tournament bid.

The Panthers (21-11) will appear in the Big Dance for the first time since...

Prairie View wins SWAC tourney, snags NCAA bid

GARLAND, Texas -- The first half of the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship was more than halfway done when Prairie View A&M's cheerleaders came running into the arena. They hustled down a long flight of stairs to reach the floor, then scrambled into position on the baseline.
Just like their team, they showed up late, but made a lot of noise when it mattered most.

Robin Jones made a go-ahead jumper from the foul line with 33.3 seconds left, the pivotal play in a 12-0 closing run that lifted Prairie View to a 48-44 victory and a berth in the NCAA tournament.

The Lady Panthers (21-11) started slowly in both halves, trailing 10-2 shortly before the cheerleaders arrived, then letting a five-point halftime lead get away by giving up the first seven points of the second half. They trailed nearly the rest of the game, and were down 44-36 with 5:13 left, matching their biggest deficit.



Prairie View women rally, drop Southern in SWAC championship game

A memorable season for the Southern women’s basketball team has ended. Saturday night in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game, the top-seeded Jaguars lost a late eight-point lead and failed to score over the final 5:13, allowing Prairie View to pull ahead for a 48-44 victory here in Garland, Texas.

The Lady Panthers (21-11) earned the SWAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Southern (20-11) is coming home. Athletic Director Greg LaFleur said SU will turn down a bid to the WNIT because of concerns over travel costs.

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Soliz shines late as Prairie View advances

GARLAND — With its season hanging in the balance, Prairie View A&M turned to freshman guard Siarra Soliz. The Southwestern Athletic Conference’s freshman of the year didn’t disappoint.

Soliz made a clutch basket and drew a key charge in the closing seconds of Friday’s SWAC semifinal against Grambling State at the Special Events Center, helping the second-seeded Panthers hang on for a 47-41 victory that sent them to the league championship game for the first time since 2009.
Prairie View (20-11) will face top seed Southern, a 78-53 winner over fifth-seeded Mississippi Valley State, at 5 p.m. today.



Lady Panthers in Championship Finale

GARLAND, Texas - Prairie View A&M advanced to the championship round of the SWAC Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons as the Lady Panthers knocked off Grambling State 47-41 in the semifinal round on Friday at the Special Events Center in Garland, Texas.

After senior guard Dominique Smith hit the game's opening basket, the Lady Panthers found themselves down quickly as GSU opened with a 7-0 surge for a 7-2 margin nearly five minutes in. The Lady Panthers regained the lead three minutes later as senior Whitney Williams, sophomore Sharde Henry and freshman Siarra Soliz hit baskets en route to a 9-7 advantage.

With the lead back in their possession, the Lady Panthers turned up the intensity on both ends of the court as they held Grambling State to only seven points over a span of 11 minutes. Offensively, Prairie View A&M continued to roll as Dominique Smith and Robin Jones hit a pair of baskets which extended their lead to double digits at 24-14 with 4:14 remaining.

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Prairie View Bowling Places Second At FAMU Classic

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Prairie View A&M bowling team returned to the lanes this past weekend and put forth a strong showing as they finished second in the FAMU Classic.

Prairie View A&M jumped out to a 4-1 record in Baker Set after the first day of tournament play as they beat Alabama State (702-600), Jackson State (720-664), Florida A&M (692-641) and Florida State (729-696). Their lone loss came at the hands of Sam Houston State as the No. 5 ranked team in the nation defeated them 674 to 629.

After a solid opening day, day two wasn’t as successful for the Lady Panthers in team format as they began with a heartbreaking two-pin loss to Sam Houston State (918-916). The Lady Panthers bounced back with wins over Alabama State (880-736) and FAMU (789-786) before dropping the last two matches to Florida State (1001-837) and Jackson State (822-773) for a 2-3 mark.

Going into the third and final day of competition, the Lady Panthers were seeded second overall and began bracket competition against top-seeded Sam Houston State. Playing in a 4-of-7 Baker format, the Lady Panthers fell 4-2 to SHSU and dropped into the loser’s bracket. Prairie View A&M bounced back and knocked off FAMU 4-2 and advanced to the championship match versus Sam Houston State once again. Unfortunately, the Lady Panthers couldn’t overcome their nemesis as SHSU defeated them 4-2 to win the championship.

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New UNCW coach humbled to be joining basketball hall of fame

On Friday, former Prairie View A&M University coach and alumna Cynthia Cooper-Dyke will become the first former WNBA player to be inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

"I don't think it has completely sunk in yet. I still think I'm wavering on the edge and I don't really feel like a hall of famer, but I think when I get to Springfield (Mass.) and I start to do the different events I will start to feel like an inductee of the class of 2010," the first-year UNC-Wilmington women's basketball coach said earlier this week.

"It's an amazing feeling to know that you are being honored and rewarded for all of the sacrifices that you have made throughout the years."

Cooper-Dyke grew up as one of eight children being raised by a single mother. It's here where Cooper learned her best trait, hard work. "My mom was just a special woman," Cooper-Dyke said. "She raised eight kids by herself in the (Los Angeles) inner city of Watts. She worked her way from welfare to having a job and taking care of the eight kids by herself and she did a terrific job."

With that life, basketball wasn't something Cooper-Dyke grew up with. She didn't start playing competitively until she was a teenager, yet led her Locke High School team to its first state title as a senior. That was Cooper-Dyke's first taste of a championship, but it certainly wouldn't be her last.



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Prairie View A&M captures SWAC women's all-sports award

For only the second time in school history, Prairie View A&M University has earned the Barbara Jacket/Sadie Magee Award as the top overall women’s sports program in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Prairie View A&M, who totaled 80.5 points, finished tied with Jackson State for the award. This past year, the women’s athletic programs at Prairie View boasted several solid performances highlighted by second place finishes in women’s basketball, bowling, soccer and outdoor track and field. The last time Prairie View A&M captured the award occurred during the 1984-85 athletic campaign.

“We’re always excited to see our student-athletes be successful in the classroom and on the playing field,” said Prairie View A&M University Athletic Director Fred Washington. “This award represents the hard work and dedication of our female sports and it was earned by our student-athletes, coaches and support staff as they represent the best of our Panther Spirit.”

“This award is well-deserved for our female student-athletes,” added Assistant Athletic Director for Female Sports Alicia Pete. “Our student-athletes carry their leadership and athleticism on and off the field. We would like to thank all faculty, staff and administrators for helping our female student- athletes achieve their accomplishment on their well-deserved award.”

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Prairie View A&M Makes The Right Choice--Promotes Wilson

Prairie View A&M University Lady Panthers assistant coach Toyelle Wilson has been promoted to head women's basketball coach, making the 28 year old Wilson one of the nation's youngest NCAA Division I coach. Coach Wilson succeed Cynthia Cooper-Dyke who moved on to University of North Carolina - Wilmington.

Prairie View A&M University athletic director Fred Washington finally made a good decision with the promotion of Lady Panthers women basketball assistant coach Toyelle Wilson to the head coach position. First, no one can "replace" a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach like Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, who has moved on to the University of North Carolina-Wilmington and the Colonial Athletics Association (CAA). Cooper-Dyke was hired away from Prairie View A&M (without a fight) for a mere $25,000 annual increase in pay.

This is where the PVAMU administration and I differ -- "Never let anyone hire away your top coach in the conference without a "battle." Otherwise, you will never be respected as an institution, conference and competitor, nor will your constituents believe that you are serious about your business in intercollegiate athletics."

To make matters worst for Prairie View, the gem of the Lady Panthers 2010/11 recruiting class -- Charlotte Amalie High School star center Aesha Peters has decided to follow Cooper-Dyke to the Colonial Athletic Association school. The 6'-4" Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands native was just what the doctor ordered in talent at center to take the Lady Panthers to the next level in 2010/11.

The difficult task now facing coach Toyelle Wilson, a 28 year old first- time head coach is holding together a recruitment class that is the best the Southwestern Athletic Conference has seen in the past 30 years. In addition to Peters, the Lady Panthers had inked to National Letters of Intent:

Alisha Andrews, Guard, 5-4 Freshman, Stone Mountain, Ga. Redan High School; Ranked as the 31st best point guard prospect in the nation with a grade of 90 by ESPN.com and second-best point guard in the state of Georgia…averaged 14 points, six assists and 4.3 steals…shot 40 percent from the three-point line…earned First Team All-Metro Dekalb County Honors…led her team on a 58-game winning streak….guided Redan back to the state finals as a senior where they fell in the state championship game to finish with a 31-1 record in 2009-10…dished out 11 assists on two occasions during senior campaign…also scored 32 points in a contest and recorded 10 steals in a game…drained seven three-pointers against Luella High School…scored over 1,000 points as a four-year starter in high school.

Gabrielle Scott, Guard, 5-8 Freshman, Vancleave, Miss. Vancleave H.S; Listed as the second-best player in the state of Mississippi by ESPN.com…ranked fourth by Mississippi Sportstalk.com…averaged 20 points and five assists as a senior…finalist for the Biloxi and South Mississippi Sun Herald Basketball Player of the Year…guided her team to the Class 5A South State semifinals…earned district MVP and all-state honorable mention honors.

Tesha Stokes, Forward, 6-0 Freshman, H, Hawthorne, Calif. Morningside H.S; Younger sister of former Lady Panther standout and first-ever recruit under Cooper-Dyke in Twila Stokes (2005-2009)…averaged 12.4 points, 15.4 rebounds and 4.1 blocked shots per game as a senior…earned second-team honors by the Los Angeles Wave newspaper…named to the 2009-10 All CIF-Southern Section / SCIBA 4AA Second Team…played in the East-West 110 All-Star Basketball Game…ranked 54th nationally among class of 2010 standouts by Carolina’s Scouting Report…a rebounding machine as she pulled down 20-plus rebounds in 10 games this season…had seven games with 10 or more offensive rebounds…grabbed 10 or more rebounds in 26 of 30 games played as a senior.

Ryven Jackson, Guard, 5-9 Freshman, Little Rock, Arkansas Parkview; Earned Class 6A Girls All-State Honors….selected to play in the 2010 East-West Tyson/Arkansas Army National Guard High School Coaches Association in June…guided team to the Class 6A State Tournament…participated in the 11th Annual Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Metro Basketball Game…tournament MVP of Martin Luther King Tournament in Memphis, Tenn. and made history as the first girl’s out-of-state team to win the girl’s championship…ranked among the top prospects in the state of Arkansas.

Damika Abria Trice, Guard/Forward, 6-1 Freshman, Atlanta, Georgia, Dutchtown; Averaged 12.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and one block per game…can play both guard and post…guided team to the semifinals of the 2010 Georgia High School Association Class 4A Girls State Tournament…earned All-Southern Crescent Honors…also played softball and earned Class 4A First Team All-Region Honors at shortstop.

The future success of the Coach Wilson era will be dictated by the decisions made by these 18 year old that now have a choice to request a release from the NCAA from their NLI or stay put at Prairie View A&M. The outcome of this process will be announced at some point before the Fall term. Right now, their decision can go either way and it will lay the foundation on the future success of the Lady Panthers basketball program. Let's be honest here; without the thoroughbreds, Toyelle Wilson will become just another ordinary HBCU coach toiling in obscurity.

Nevertheless, I like this hire! Now, the rest of the story...

Wilson Elevated to head women's basketball coach

Prairie View A&M University Athletic Director Fred Washington announced today the promotion of Toyelle Wilson to head coach of the women’s basketball team. “We’re glad to have been able to retain Coach Wilson and are excited about the future of our women’s basketball program,” said Washington. “Wilson has been a part of all the success we’ve had and is deserving of a chance to show everyone her ability to coach on this level.”

Prior to accepting the position of head coach, Wilson spent the past four seasons as the top assistant coach for the Lady Panthers and played a large role in Prairie View A&M’s success with four consecutive postseason appearances, three straight Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season titles, two NCAA Tournament and two Women's NIT berths. Off the court, Wilson was involved in all aspects of the program with special emphasis on recruiting, the development of the team’s perimeter players, scouting, film breakdown, game strategy and operations such as team travel.

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University of Houston Speaks with PVAMU Coach Cooper-Dyke‎

HOUSTON, TX - FOX 26 Sports has learned that University of Houston officials contacted Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, Prairie View A&M University women's basketball coach, as part of the process to find a new coach for the Cougars. College basketball sources told FOX 26 that UH officials conducted a preliminary interview with Cooper-Dyke on the phone. The sources said that the university has also spoken with other candidates in a similiar fashion and that UH is in the early stages of the process.

The Cougars' job opened when Joe Curl resigned because of health issues. Cooper-Dyke was announced on Monday as one of the newest members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. It is the highest individual honor that a player or coach can receive in the sport of basketball. As a player, Cooper-Dyke did it all leading the University of Southern California to a pair of national championships, winning Olympic gold and leading the Houston Comets to four consecutive WNBA championships. And as a coach, Cooper-Dyke is doing a sensational job at Prairie View A&M.

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Unexpected boost from Boogaard lifts KU in WNIT win over Prairie View

Oh, Canada. Saskatchewan native Krysten Boogaard produced a career-high 37 points in a rare start as Kansas plunked Prairie View A&M, 82-70, in its WNIT basketball opener Wednesday night in Allen Fieldhouse. “I just knew I needed to fill some big shoes,” Boogaard said. Back in January, the 6-foot-5 junior lost her starting job to Carolyn Davis, but Davis suffered a recurrence of an earlier concussion and had to sit this one out. With Boogaard dominating the paint against the undersized Panthers, the Jayhawks didn’t miss Davis at all.

“It was a huge evening for her,” KU coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “She did a great job of getting in front of the rim, and the guards got a lot of passes to her, too.” “I don’t think we were prepared for the intensity that she brought tonight,” Prairie View coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke said of Boogaard. “She maintained that level of intensity on both ends of the court all game long, and that we weren’t prepared for.”

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Lady Jayhawks win, advance

Prairie View to play at Kansas in WNIT

PVAMU Lady Panthers Coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke faces University of Kansas in first round of WNIT. Kansas enters the tournament with a 15-15 overall record and a 5-11 Big 12 mark.

LAWRENCE, KS -- The University of Kansas women's basketball team, under sixth-year head coach Bonnie Henrickson, has been selected to play in the postseason Women's NIT for the third-consecutive season. The Jayhawks will host Prairie View A&M on Wednesday, March 17 in Allen Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. The postseason appearance is Kansas' fourth under Henrickson and the 20th in school history. The Jayhawks, who went 4-1 in last season's WNIT, collected wins over Creighton, Arkansas, New Mexico and Illinois State before falling in the title game to South Florida.

Prairie View A&M, enters Wednesday's game with a 15-13 overall mark and a 12-6 mark in Southwestern Athletic Conference play. The Lady Panthers finished second in the SWAC, but fell in the first round of the conference tournament to Alabama State. Prairie View A&M is coached by the legendary Cynthia Cooper-Dyke and is led by Candice Thomas with 14.8 points per game, while Dominique Smith pours 13.6 points a game.

Printable 2010 WNIT Bracket: Women's NIT Schedule and Bracket ...

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UAPB Lady Lions Upset Short-Handed Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers

University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Women Basketball Head Coach Cary Shelton.

It was right at tip-off that Cary Shelton realized the best team in the Southwestern Athletic Conference was at less than full strength. Shelton’s Arkansas-Pine Bluff women’s basketball team entered Saturday’s game in need of a win to keep its hopes for a berth in next month’s SWAC Tournament alive, and facing it was the team at the top of the standings — Prairie View A&M. But missing from Prairie View — which suited just eight players — was leading scorer Latara Darrett, second-leading scorer Candice Thomas and leading rebounder Gaati Werema, thanks to an assortment of injuries.

Shelton, though, said it didn’t matter that his Lady Lions were playing a skeletal form of the Lady Panthers. UAPB needed a win. And thanks to a decrease in turnovers from a loss on Monday and a continued emphasis on forcing them, the Lady Lions got a win, 72-59, over the defending conference champions at H.O. Clemmons Arena.

“It doesn’t matter who is out on the floor, you’ve got to go out and compete at a high level,” Shelton said. The first-year coach was disappointed with a level of competition displayed in a loss Monday night at Alcorn State, a game in which the Lady Lions committed 29 turnovers. On Saturday, he had no complaints.

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WEATHERS' LATE SHOT GIVES UAPB OVERTIME WIN

Ark.-Pine Bluff 57, Prairie View 55

Injuries bedevil PVAMU Panthers

PVAMU Coach Cynthia Cooper Dyke has the Panthers on pace to win its fourth consecutive SWAC regular-season title.

Prairie View A&M coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke must wonder whether she's running a women's basketball program or an infirmary. The Panthers are one of the most injury-riddled teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, having lost four players for the season. One of those players is senior guard and reigning SWAC Player of the Year Gaati Werema, who tore an anterior cruciate ligament during practice Jan. 29.

Werema joined guards Latia Williams and Dieynaba Toure on the list of players whose seasons were ended by torn ACLs. Guard Trinity Robinson was expected to return from a broken wrist this week, but she'll miss the rest of the season after opting for surgery to repair a broken bone. Werema was averaging 13.5 points and a team-leading 8.8 rebounds. To make matters worse, guard Candice Thomas (15.7 points per game) is playing with a sprained knee.

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Former PVAMU Volleyball standout named assistant coach at UTPA

Photo: TPA Coach Laura De La Fuente was Volleyball star at Prairie View A&M University.

EDINGBURG, Texas- The University of Texas-Pan American women's volleyball program announced that former Prairie View A&M University standout Laura De La Fuente has been named as an assistant coach with the Lady Broncs.

"I'm really excited to be given this opportunity to work with the UTPA volleyball program," said De La Fuente. "I will be able to get the valley involved with our sports program here. UTPA is one of the pride and joys of the Valley so that's why I chose to come back here. I think Coach Hubbard is starting something great, she has a great group of girls and she is doing an excellent job here."

"We are very excited about the addition of Laura to our staff," said head volleyball coach Angela Hubbard. "She has such a passion for the Valley and is exactly what we need to complete our staff. We feel that she is such a great fit with what we are trying to accomplish. She is very knowledgeable of the game and is ready to help Bronc volleyball make an impact within the Valley as well as in the national scene. "

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PVAMU Lady Panthers one win away from second straight SWAC title

Photo: Shavonne Smith, 5-7 senior guard, Riverside, Calif.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- One more win is all the Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers will need to secure their second consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference Title after a convincing 83-70 win over the Lady Golden Lions of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

The Lady Panthers shot a blazing 49 percent from the field which included a 54 percent showing from behind the arc. Candice Thomas scored a game high 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor. Thomas also went perfect from the charity stripe going 5-of-5.

Freshmen Dominique Smith contributed 17 points off the bench on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor. Smith helped ignite Prairie View A&M's fast break attack in the second half which subsequently helped the Lady Panthers secure momentum of the contest.

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Prairie View A&M Athletics Back and Stronger than ever

by Prairie View A&M Sports Information

Once one of the weakest programs in the SWAC, PVAMU has rebounded to claim its place among the SWAC’s elite

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas- With recent success in football, women’s basketball, men’s indoor track and field, volleyball, baseball, and men’s tennis the Prairie View A&M athletics program currently stands as one of the strongest athletic programs in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

An in-depth look at how far the program has come

When taking into account where the program was just eight years ago one can only begin to marvel at the turnaround the department has made as a whole over the past seven years. The turnaround began to take form in 2001 when current PVAMU Athletics Director Charles McClelland was selected to take leadership of an athletics department that had been marred by losing programs and financial instability.

The Prairie View A&M Panthers football team at one point lost 80 consecutive games, a streak which still stands as an NCAA record and spanned nearly a total seven years (1991-98). The 1991-92 PVAMU men’s basketball team went 0-28 during regular season play setting an NCAA record. That feat was matched by Savannah State in 2005 (0-28) and eventually broken by the New Jersey Institute of Technology (0-29) in 2008.

The Panthers baseball and men’s tennis team are two other programs within the department that struggled in years past. Up until 2006 Panthers baseball had never had a winning season or won a conference title. Men’s tennis had fallen off the radar after 1970 which was their last SWAC Championship season.

Women’s basketball failed to reach the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament in several seasons leading up to the hiring of current head coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke. The program had also never won a conference title or completed a 20 plus win season.

The current state of Panthers and Lady Panthers athletics

Currently the Prairie View A&M athletics program ranks pound for pound as one of the best programs in its conference. Last fall PVAMU athletics placed second in the SWAC’s Commissioner’s Cup.

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Now that Prairie View is conquering the Southwestern Athletic Conference, it's time to aim high and become a beast in the NCAA playoffs in women's basketball, men track and field and baseball. What's more amazing 'bout this turnaround is it has been accomplished with the second lowest athletic budget in the SWAC. Only Mississippi Valley State University has a lower budget than the PVAMU Panthers.

The crown jewel of this coaching staff is simply Cynthia Cooper-Dyke. This former WNBA head coach has the recruiting capability and coaching skills to lead a premier institution to the NCAA Final Four. I would love to see Cooper-Dyke move her athletic vision for greatness further south to an "unnamed HBCU" and its brand new 9,000 seat arena which is due for completion in February 2009.

With the Florida hot bed of superior women basketball talent which Cooper-Dyke dipped into with the signing of three players from Orlando Christian Prep, (freshmen guards Trinity Robinson (5'-7"), Dominique Smith (5'-10") and starting sophomore guard Gaati Werema (6'-0"), she has proven she can recruit against superior Division I programs with huge budgets.

Cooper-Dyke, operating with PVAMU's pea sized budget was able to swoop into Florida and snatch 21.4 percent of her present team including Gaati Werema, who was ranked by Rivals.com as the eighth (8th) best woman player in Florida in 2006. The talent she has assembled at Prairie View is truly remarkable for an HBCU taking the low budget approach to athletic supremacy.

Imagine the possibilities for Cooper-Dyke with a brand new first class division I arena, an institution with a legendary athletic and academic program history, capital city location and easy access to recruiting hotbeds in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Texas and California. But, more importantly--a national stage to perform her craft and a conference with better positioning to the NCAA Tournament.

Cooper-Dyke run at Prairie View may be short lived as the call for a larger paycheck for her accomplishments will keep other athletic directors knocking on her door with offers that PVAMU cannot possibly match. There is a brand new arena due East-Southeast of Texas that is begging for crowds of over 5,247 that Cooper-Dyke has been able to attract for a home Lady Panther basketball game (w/Texas Southern).

The last time that a national championship was purchased on the cheap was 1966, when Coach Don Haskins led Texas Western College (today: University of Texas at El Paso) to the NCAA Division I men's national basketball championship.

Haskins and Texas Western (28-1 record) made history by starting five African American players for the first time in a championship game against Kentucky’s all-white squad, coached by Adolph Rupp. Texas Western won 72-65 over the storied program and the 1966 team was nominated in its entirety to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997.

Haskins was inducted to the Hall as coach in 1997 and the entire Texas Western College team was inducted on September 7, 2007. The 2006 movie, "Glory Road" that memorialized the achievements of the 1966 Texas Western team did in fact have a positive impact on the latter event coming to fruition for the team members.

Oh, the possibilities with Cooper-Dyke as head women's basketball coach at a premier HBCU with a generous budget and honorable salary for this accomplished coach. No doubt, with proper financial and athletic program support, she has the capabilities and passion to move a college program successfully towards an NCAA tournament national championship.

We must first dare to dream--then pursue the dream!

Being cheap gets you nowhere in today's college athletics but out on the street recruiting for new coaches for the possible future Hall of Famers that were recruited away from you for a bigger paycheck and a national stage to showcase their talents and coaching abilities.

Prairie View A&M University is now prime for the taking of a few good coaches over gridiron, diamond, court, track and field.

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SWAC-leading Prairie View women win again

Photo: Prairie View A&M University head basketball coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke records the Lady Panthers first 20 victory season in history with win over Alabama State University.

Alabama State falls 78-56 at Hicks Building; PV stands at 15-1 in conference

PRAIRIE VIEW — Candice Thomas scored 22 points as Prairie View A&M jumped out to a 12-0 lead and cruised to a 78-56 win over Alabama State at the Hicks Building on Monday evening. Monday's win brought the school its first 20-win season in women's basketball.

Thomas was one of four Prairie View players in double figures as the Lady Panthers improved to 20-8 overall while maintaining their lead in the Southwestern Athletic Conference with a 15-1 record. Gatti Werema scored 19 points for Prairie View, Shavonne Smith had 11 while Chari Smith added 10 for the Lady Panthers.

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Prairie View A&M routs Grambling State Tigers

Photo: PVAMU guard Gaati Werema led four Lady Panthers in double figure scoring with 28 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block and 1 steal in 26 minutes of action. The 6-0 sophomore is from Orlando, Florida, Orlando Christian Prep.

Prairie View A&M University Sports Information

Gaati Werema's 28 points and 16 rebounds paces the Lady Panther's offensive attack

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas- The Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers (16-8 11-1 SWAC) got back on track with a convincing victory over the Grambling State Lady Tigers (1-22, 0-13 SWAC) on Monday, February 18th in the William Nicks Building.

Lady Panther forward Gaati Werema had a monster night racking up 28 points and 16 rebounds on 9-of-18 shooting from the floor. Werema’s point total also included an impressive 10-of-12 showing from the charity stripe.

Chari Smith had a double-double performance tallying 14 points and 10 rebounds. Overall Prairie View A&M shot 37 percent from the floor, while holding the Lady Tigers to just 20 percent shooting for the game.

PVAMU took their largest lead of the game at 32 points at the 2:20 mark of the second half. From that point Grambling State would get no closer than 30 points.

For the game Prairie View A&M scored 25 points off GSU miscues. The Lady Panthers out scored Grambling State in the paint 34-8 and in second chance points 12-1.

Prairie View A&M will return to the hardwood on Saturday, February 23rd, when they travel to Pine Bluff, Arkansas to take on the UAPB Lady Golden Lions. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m.

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