DAYTON, Ohio — Prairie View A&M earned their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory with a 67-55 triumph over Lehigh in the First Four at UD Arena, marking a historic turnaround for a program that had won just five games the previous season. The Panthers’ remarkable journey was powered by 25 points, seven rebounds and four steals from guard Dontae Horne, who led a defensive effort that stifled the Mountain Hawks throughout the second half. The victory advances Prairie View A&M into the main bracket of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament as the No. 16 seed in the South Region, where they will face defending national champion Florida. Coverage from ESPN, ESPN Women’s, ESPN Missouri State, Sporting News, Sporting News Box Score, and Fox Sports confirms these details. Each of the bullet points immediately below have been confirmed by at least four of the six respected sources we curated on this story.
- Prairie View A&M defeated Lehigh 67-55 in the First Four at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio, securing the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory
- Dontae Horne led all scorers with 25 points on 11-of-22 shooting, adding seven rebounds and four steals in a dominant performance
- Prairie View A&M became just the third team to win an NCAA tournament game following a season of five wins or fewer since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985
- The Panthers will advance to face No. 1 seed and defending national champion Florida in the first round on Friday in Tampa
- Prairie View A&M’s defense held Lehigh guard Nasir Whitlock — a first-team All-Patriot League selection and league tournament MVP — to just 5 points, 16 below his season average
- The Panthers recorded 12 steals and scored 18 points off turnovers, controlling the tempo in the second half to pull away
- Cory Wells contributed 19 points for Prairie View A&M, while Lance Williams provided key defensive pressure on Whitlock
Additional Details Reported
The First Four games marked the official tipoff of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, with Prairie View A&M’s victory capping two days of play-in games at UD Arena. The Panthers’ triumph represented the culmination of a remarkable turnaround engineered by coach Byron Smith, who reshaped the roster through the transfer portal with key additions including Horne from Georgia Southern, Wells from Utah Valley, Tai’Reon Joseph from UTSA and Lance Williams from Xavier-Louisiana.
According to ESPN Research, the Panthers joined Iowa State and Fairleigh Dickinson as the only teams to win NCAA tournament games after seasons of five wins or fewer. Fairleigh Dickinson notably upset No. 1 seed Purdue in 2023 after winning the First Four.
Women’s Tournament First Four Also Concludes
The women’s NCAA Tournament First Four also concluded Wednesday with Nebraska and Missouri State advancing to the Round of 64. Britt Prince scored 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting as Nebraska defeated Richmond 75-56, opening the third quarter with a 17-0 run that broke the game open. The No. 11 seed Cornhuskers will face sixth-seeded Baylor on Friday.
In the other women’s First Four matchup, Kaemyn Bekemeier recorded 22 points and 13 rebounds as Missouri State defeated Stephen F. Austin 85-75. The No. 16 seed Lady Bears will face top-seeded Texas in the first round.
Tuesday’s First Four Winners
On Tuesday, Howard earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory by defeating UMBC 86-83, becoming the first men’s program to secure their inaugural tournament win in the First Four era. The Bison, led by Ose Okojie’s career-high 23 points, will face No. 1 seed Michigan in the Midwest Region.
Texas secured the final spot in the West Region bracket with a dramatic 68-66 victory over NC State, as Tramon Mark hit a fadeaway jumper with 1.1 seconds remaining to send the Longhorns to face sixth-seeded BYU.
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