MARS HILL, NC (November 20, 2022) – The Claflin Panthers (3-0) were able to bottle some of their magic from a homecoming victory to power an impressive 88-79 road win at Mars Hill (2-2), Sunday afternoon. After shooting over 50% from the floor at home, the Panthers kept things in another high-scoring game at Mars Hill.
For the second straight game, the Panthers put on a strong offensive showing to claim the win. After scoring 108 points in Saturday’s night’s win, the Panthers followed the effort with 88 points in Sunday’s win. The Panthers were especially efficient in the win, shooting 62.3% (33-of-53). Senior guard Allen Hatchett led the way for the Panthers with 18 points in the game. Junior forward Timothy McElroy added 17 points with seven rebounds in the game as well. Junior guard Bryson Dennis added 12 points while fellow junior guard Jailen Williams added 11 points.
The Panthers controlled the game from beginning to end. The team started the game with a hot start and never looked back. A Hatchett three-pointer at the 17:08 mark capped a 10-2 lead for the Panthers. The Panthers would hold on to the lead, but the Panthers would never let the go of their lead. After allowing the Bulldogs to pull to within a point, 25-24 with 7:15 left in the first half, the Panthers closed the half in style with an 18-7 run that was capped by a McElroy three-point play with just over a minute left and sent the Panthers into the locker room with a 44-31 lead.
The second half only saw the Panthers getting better as they continued to control the game. A McElroy lay-up with 16:12 left to play gave the Panthers a 20-point lead, 55-35. With the lead in hand, the Panthers had to hold off a strong come back effort by the Bulldogs. The final minutes saw the Panthers’ lead get cut down to seven points, but in the end, the Panthers rolled to the win.
With the win, the Panthers improve to 3-0. The team will return to the road for their next action as they head to Augusta, Georgia to take on their former Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) rivals, Paine. For more information on Panthers basketball, contact the Claflin University Office of Athletics Media Relations at (803) 535-5548 or log on to www.athletics.claflin.edu.
