ORANGEBURG, SC (November 20, 2021) – The Claflin Lady Panthers (0-3) gave a great effort, but the team fell victim to some final minute miscues in a heartbreaking 58-57 homecoming loss to the Voorhees Lady Tigers (3-8), Saturday afternoon. The Lady Panthers controlled much of the game, but a late surge by the Lady Tigers proved to be too much for the team to overcome.
The loss came despite a solid overall performance by the Lady Panthers. As a team, the Lady Panthers struggled to make shots, shooting just 29.4% (20-for-68) from the floor. Freshman guard Janelle Sample led the team’s scoring effort with a team-high 16 points and six rebounds in the game. Senior guard Dionna Long added 14 points as well. Freshman forward Morgan Kelson led the Lady Panthers in rebounding with seven in the game.
Things looked good for the Lady Panthers in the early stages of the game. The team dominated the Lady Tigers with a 16-11 performance in the first quarter and followed that effort with an equally impressive second quarter, outscoring their opponents 15-11 in the second quarter. Things got even better for the Lady Panthers with a 15-8 effort in the third quarter. By the end of the third quarter, the Lady Panthers held an impressive 46-30 lead over the Lady Tigers.
However, in the fourth quarter, things got tougher and tougher for the Lady Panthers. The team was outscored 28-11 in the final quarter of the game. Through the first half of the quarter, the Lady Panthers continued to control the game as a lay-up from sophomore center LaTerrlyn LeShore gave the team a 56-38 lead. But it was then that things got tough for the Lady Panthers. In the final four minutes of the game, the Lady Panthers allowed a 20-7 run by the Lady Tigers.
The Lady Panthers had a chance to seal the win in the final seconds. With the score tied, 56-56, Voorhees took an inadvertent timeout that resulted in a technical foul. The Lady Panthers were able to convert on a free throw to go ahead 57-56. Unfortunately, the Lady Panthers turned the ball over on the ensuing possession and committed a foul that sent Voorhees to the free throw line for a pair of shots. The Lady Tigers made both free throws to leave the Lady Panthers trailing, 58-57 with 00:04 left to play before a last chance three-pointer by the Lady Panthers fell short and ended the game with the loss.
With the loss, the Lady Panthers fall to 0-3 to start the season.