Prairie View A&M Earns First NCAA Tournament Win, Defeats Lehigh 67–55

DAYTON, Ohio — Prairie View A&M University secured a historic milestone Wednesday night, earning its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory with a 67–55 win over Lehigh University in the First Four.

Dontae Horne led the charge with a game-high 25 points, while Cory Wells added 19 to pace the Panthers (19–17). Lance Williams chipped in 10 points, helping Prairie View A&M control the game and pull away in the second half.

Making just their third appearance in March Madness, the Panthers delivered a composed performance on the big stage, limiting Lehigh’s offensive rhythm and capitalizing on key scoring runs.

Lehigh (18–17) struggled to find consistency, particularly from leading scorer Nasir Whitlock. After being held scoreless for more than 26 minutes, Whitlock finished with just five points on 2-of-15 shooting—well below his usual production. Hank Alvey provided a bright spot for the Mountain Hawks with 23 points.

With the win, Prairie View A&M advances as a No. 16 seed in the South Region and will take on defending national champion University of Florida in Tampa, Florida.

The victory marks a breakthrough moment for the Panthers, adding their name to the growing list of HBCU programs making noise on college basketball’s biggest stage.