Prairie View A&M to Face Lehigh in NCAA First Four Showdown

Winner to take on No. 1 seed Florida in South Regional

Mar. 16, 2026 at 12:18am

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Prairie View A&M punched its NCAA Tournament ticket as SWAC champions, setting up a First Four clash with Lehigh in Dayton. The winner will advance to face No. 1 overall seed Florida in the South Regional.

Why it matters

As an SWAC No. 8 seed, Prairie View A&M's conference tournament run to the championship was an unlikely Cinderella story. The Panthers will look to continue their improbable March Madness journey against Lehigh, with a potential matchup against top-seeded Florida looming.

The details

Prairie View A&M defeated No. 3-seed Southern 72-66 in the SWAC championship game to earn the conference's automatic NCAA Tournament bid. The Panthers were led by the trio of Lance Williams, Cory Wells, and Dontae Horne, who combined for most of the team's scoring. Prairie View shot 50% from 3-point range in the title game.

  • Prairie View A&M won the SWAC Tournament championship on March 14, 2026.
  • The NCAA First Four matchup between Prairie View A&M and Lehigh will take place on March 19, 2026 in Dayton, Ohio.
  • The winner of the Prairie View A&M vs. Lehigh game will face No. 1 overall seed Florida in the South Regional on March 21, 2026.

The players

Prairie View A&M

The SWAC champion and No. 8 seed in the conference tournament, who punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament with an unlikely run to the title.

Lehigh

The Patriot League champion, who defeated Holy Cross 77-70 in the conference title game to earn an NCAA Tournament berth.

Florida

The No. 1 overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, who will face the winner of the Prairie View A&M vs. Lehigh First Four matchup.

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What’s next

The winner of the Prairie View A&M vs. Lehigh First Four matchup will face No. 1 overall seed Florida in the South Regional on March 21, 2026.

The takeaway

Prairie View A&M's improbable run from the No. 8 seed in the SWAC Tournament to an NCAA Tournament berth is a classic Cinderella story. The Panthers will look to continue their March Madness journey against Lehigh in the First Four, with a potential showdown against top-seeded Florida looming.