Prairie View A&M Makes History — Panthers Upset Lehigh 67-55 in NCAA First Four to Earn First-Ever Tournament Win
FINAL — Wednesday, March 18, 2026 | UD Arena, Dayton, Ohio | TruTV
Prairie View A&M has done something the program has never done before. The Panthers defeated the Lehigh Mountain Hawks 67-55 in the NCAA First Four on Wednesday night — earning the first NCAA Tournament victory in Prairie View A&M basketball history. Dontae Horne was unstoppable, Cory Wells was a force all night, and a dominant second-half run sealed one of the most emotional wins in HBCU basketball history. Prairie View now faces No. 1 Florida on Friday in Tampa.
Prairie View vs Lehigh Final Score — Dontae Horne Delivers Historic Night
Dontae Horne had 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals to lead Prairie View A&M past Lehigh 67-55. Cory Wells added 19 points and 11 rebounds in a complete team performance that overwhelmed Lehigh in the second half.
Horne is a senior guard averaging 20.2 points per game who said this year that playing in March had always been his dream, and that making it in his final season was wonderful. He delivered on that dream in the most complete way possible — going for 25 in the program's most important game ever.
How Prairie View A&M Pulled Away — The Second-Half Explosion
At halftime, Lehigh led 29-27 — a tightly contested first half that featured five ties and three lead changes. Lehigh's leading scorer Nasir Whitlock was held scoreless on 0-for-8 shooting in the first half, including two missed 3-pointers, leaving all of his team's offensive burden on sophomore center Hank Alvey's 10 points.
Prairie View came out of the locker room on an 8-0 run to open the second half, immediately flipping the game on its head. The Panthers extended that lead to 51-41 with just over eight minutes left, then pushed it to 57-46 inside of four minutes — never looking back as Lehigh's offense continued to sputter without Whitlock finding his rhythm.
Nasir Whitlock Goes Cold — Lehigh's Season Ends on a Devastating Off-Night
Lehigh's offense collapsed in the second half as Whitlock — the team's offensive engine at 21.0 points per game — never recovered from his scoreless first half. The Mountain Hawks went on a sloppy stretch of missed shots and costly turnovers that allowed Prairie View to seize control and extend the lead throughout the final 15 minutes of play.
Lehigh had been favored by 3.5 points coming in, with the Mountain Hawks riding 3-point shooting as their primary identity — averaging 7.9 made threes per game. Prairie View held them to 23% from beyond the arc on the night, while the Panthers shot 50% from 3-point range themselves — the exact reversal of the game script Lehigh needed.
Where Is Lehigh University — And Why This Loss Stings
Lehigh University is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and is a member of the Patriot League. The Mountain Hawks were making their sixth overall NCAA Tournament appearance and their first since 2012, when future NBA star CJ McCollum led the program to a stunning upset of No. 2 seed Duke in the first round.
Head coach Brett Reed had spoken all week about the importance of continuity and chemistry, calling the tournament an all-hands-on-deck preparation challenge. Despite the loss, Lehigh's return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 14 years marks a genuine milestone for the program.
Prairie View A&M Basketball — The Story Behind the Historic Win
Prairie View A&M was 9-16 after a loss to Southern on Valentine's Day before rallying to win nine of their final 10 games. The Panthers captured four victories in five days in the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament — capped by a 72-66 title game win over Southern — to earn their automatic bid and third-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
Prairie View A&M is an HBCU located in Prairie View, Texas — roughly 45 miles northwest of Houston. The school has never won an NCAA Tournament game before tonight. That changes now, and this program, this city, and the entire HBCU community celebrated accordingly.
What's Next — Prairie View Faces No. 1 Florida on Friday
Prairie View A&M advances to the Round of 64 to face No. 1 seed Florida — the reigning national champion — on Friday in Tampa in the South Region. The Gators enter as one of the heaviest favorites in the first round, but Prairie View just proved they are capable of rising to every occasion.
