Bulldogs fall in overtime to Praire View, 61-57

Box Score NORMAL – What started off as a dream game for the Bulldogs turned into a nightmare before it was over as the Panthers of Prairie View A&M came from 13 points down to defeat Alabama A&M 61-57 in overtime.

“We did not attack the zone, we stood around too much and we didn’t do the things we normally do to win,” said head coach Willie Hayes. “This time of the year you are supposed to be in your best shape but we allowed them to out rebound us down the stretch.”

A&M was led by Jeremy Crutcher, who with two seconds on the clock could not hit one of two free-throws, with 14 points on 5 of 10 shooting. Demarquelle Tabb secured his 21^st double double of his career and 12^th this season with 13 points and a season high 17 rebounds. Brandon Ellis finished the game with 11 points in 31 minutes.

Neither team could get on the board until PV’s Mayo Riathin hit the opening layup. Tabb put the Maroon & White on the score board when he hit two free-throws then scored a layup: 44 seconds later to even the score at 4-4.

The lead was exchanged once more when Crutcher hit a jumper to put AAMU up 15-14 with 12:41 on the clock. Alabama A&M then controlled the remaining first half minutes by shooting 13 of 30 for 43 percent and 5 of 9 from the free-throw line for 56%. By half-time the Willie Hayes squad had secured a 14-1 lead in bench points, 10-4 advantage in fast break points and 12-6 lead in points off turnovers. Those advantages gave the Bulldogs a 35-24 lead at the break.

The nightmare began in the second half at the 10:30 mark after an Ellis three-pointer put A&M up by 12 49-37. From there AAMU went 2 for 11 from the field while the Panthers went on a 16-6 run to close the gap and tie the score at 55-55 with: 34 seconds remaining. A&M scored their last field of regulation at the 7:01 mark. Nine of the 16 turnovers by the home team happened in the second half primarily in the final seven minutes of action.

The Maroon & White did have a chance with two seconds left but Crutcher could not hit either free-throw allowing nine hundred plus fans a chance for extra basketball.

The nightmare did not end in the overtime period as A&M went 0 for 4 from the field and 0 for 1 from the charity stripe to fall in the last regular season game in Elmore gymnasium 61-57.

Jourdan DeMuynck led Prairie View with 27 points and 11 rebounds. Carl Blair scored 11.

A&M will have to forget this loss quickly as their next game is only two days away when they travel for eight hours to Grambling, Louisiana to play the Tigers of Grambling State on Thursday, Feb. 28^th. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.

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