CHARLOTTE, NC (February 20, 2022) – After completing the regular season, the Claflin University Panthers (7-19, 6-10 CIAA) will enter the 2022 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament as the ninth seed. The team earned the seeding after completing a strong regular season that featured quite a few bright spots for the Panthers.
Though the Panthers had some rough spots during the season, the Panthers showed plenty of grit and determination to finish the regular season in a strong position heading into the conference championship tournament. The Panthers finished the 2021-22 regular season with a 6-10 record in CIAA play to go along with a 4-6 record in the CIAA Southern Division. The effort placed the Panthers in fourth place in the division and ninth overall in the conference tournament.
The Panthers will have quite a few things in their corner when the team takes the court in Baltimore, Maryland. The team ended the season on a high note with wins in two of their last three regular season games, including a dominant 76-68 senior day win over the Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls. The Panthers will also carry a bit of momentum from their last appearance in the CIAA championship tournament when the team reached the semifinal round of the tournament and came to within a minute of a trip to the tournament championship game in the 2020 CIAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament.
Facing the Panthers will be a familiar foe who will have a bit of a chip on their shoulder when the two teams meet. The Panthers are scheduled to take on the eighth seeded Virginia State Trojans, whom the Panthers defeated in an upset during the 2020 tournament. When the two teams met earlier this season, the Panthers took an 84-70 road loss to the Trojans.
The Panthers and the Trojans are scheduled for a 6:40 p.m. start, Tuesday evening. For more information on Panthers athletics, contact the Claflin University Office of Athletic Media Relations at (803) 535-5548 or log on to www.athletics.claflin.edu.