Dontae Horne leads Prairie View A&M to victory over Lehigh in First Four game

March 19, 2026

Prairie View A&M Victorious in First Four

DAYTON, Ohio — Donte Horn led Prairie View A&M with 25 points, while Corey Wells contributed 19 points and 11 rebounds, helping the team secure its first NCAA tournament win by defeating Lehigh 67-55 in the First Four matchup last night.

“I’m really pleased,” said coach Brian Smith. “It was a solid basketball game. We’re thrilled to survive and advance to the next round on Friday.”

Lance Williams added 10 points for the Panthers (19-17), marking their third appearance in the tournament after a tough 5-27 season last year. They’ll continue as the 16th seed in the South region, facing the top-seeded Florida, the defending national champion.

“As a player, you watch the NCAA Tournament and to find yourself here, going up against a team that just won it all last year, it’s surreal,” Wells remarked. “But we’re ready to compete no matter what.”

In addition to his scoring, Horn secured seven rebounds and made four steals, playing the full 40 minutes alongside Wells and Williams.

Lehigh’s top scorer, Nasir Whitlock, struggled significantly, remaining scoreless for over 26 minutes and finishing with only five points on 2 of 15 shooting. The last time he didn’t score in double digits was back in November against West Virginia.

“This wasn’t the outcome anyone expected,” Whitlock noted. “But that’s basketball for you. Some days it just doesn’t work out.”

Hank Albee was the standout for Lehigh (18-17), totaling 23 points and 15 rebounds, being the sole Mountain Hawk to score in double figures.

Prairie View A&M is on an impressive eight-game winning streak, having recently triumphed over Southern 72-66 in the SWAC championship.

Last year, Lehigh, making its sixth tournament appearance, secured the Patriot League title by beating Boston University 74-60. Their only tournament victory occurred in 2012 when they upset Duke.

Andrew Urosevic hit a couple of back-to-back three-pointers that momentarily gave Lehigh its largest lead at 23-15. However, Wells countered quickly, scoring five consecutive points to pull Prairie View back into the game.

Lehigh was up 29-27 by halftime, even with Whitlock unable to score. The Mountain Hawks had a rough time from beyond the arc, making only 3 of 13 three-point attempts in the first half.

After missing his first nine attempts, Whitlock finally made a three-pointer with 13:12 left on the clock.

“Whitlock is an incredible player, but tonight he faced tough defense,” said Lehigh coach Brett Reed. “It was hard for him to find space near the rim.”

Prairie View A&M held their ground against Lehigh’s leading scorer and widened the gap to 51-41 after Wells hit a jumper with 8:34 remaining.

Reflecting on the progression of the team, Smith recalled his first visit in 2019. “We had a great start, even leading against Fairleigh Dickinson, but we fell short. Finishing the game is crucial, and we executed that tonight. Our defense was tenacious.”

The Panthers attributed their defensive success largely to Lance Williams. “He deserves recognition for his play tonight,” Horn said. “Lance isn’t concerned with stats. He did what was needed. Holding Whitlock to just five points is a huge testament to his effort.”