Prairie View A&M's Historic NCAA Run Ends in Lopsided Loss

0:00On March 21st, in the first round of the 2026 NCAA, a tournament, 16th-seeded Prairie View A&M faced a tough challenge against top-seated and defending champion Florida. The Panthers from the Southwestern Athletic Conference put up a fight early but fell in a lopsided final score of 114-55. At the arena in Tampa, Prairie View stayed even with Florida at 15-15 midway through the first half. But the Gators responded with an 18-to-0 run, followed by a massive 45-to-6 spurt that built a 39-point halftime lead and sealed the outcome. Prairie View's head coach, Byron Smith, was straightforward about the mismatch during the game. He praised Florida's efficiency and stressed the knee for constant defense and adjustments, knowing his team was up against the powerhouse. Florida made a bit of history late by seven-and-seven-foot-nine Oliver Ryu, the tallest player ever in college basketball. He not only saw action, but scored in his tournament debut.

1:02Despite the defeat, Prairie View earned plenty of respect. As the eighth seed in their conference tournament, they claimed the title and notched the program's first ever, Unca, a win by beating Lehigh in the UMM, first four.