ORANGEBURG, SC (November 14, 2022) – The Claflin Panthers (1-0) clicked on all cylinders when the team opened the 2022-23 season with a dominating 89-61 win over the Allen Yellowjackets (0-2), Monday evening. The Panthers took the win behind a balanced fast-paced offense that keyed the season-opening victory.
The numbers don’t lie for the Panthers who showed some tremendous depth in the win. Eleven Claflin players scored in the game, including five Panthers to reach double-digit scoring in the game. Junior guard Bryson Dennis led the way for the Panthers with 19 points in the game. Senior forward Shamarie McLeod added 13 points as well. Junior guard Jailen Williams added 11 points as well. Senior guard Allen Hatchett added a near double-double as he recorded 10 points with a game-high seven rebounds.
The Panthers dominated the game from the very beginning with a terrific first half of play. The team led from the very beginning of the game. A Dennis three-pointer with 4:16 left in the first half gave the Panthers their largest lead of the half and set the team on the path to a strong finish. At the end of the half, the Panthers led 47-30.
In the second half, the Panthers picked up right where they left off to cruise to the win. The team went ahead by as many as 25 points, 64-39 after a dunk from senior forward Shyim Cunningham. Though they would ease up on things and allowed the Yellowjackets to cut their deficit down to 19 points, 75-54, with 7:25 left to play, the Panthers again stormed ahead to seal the game for good in the final minutes. A lay-up from junior guard DaiJohn Stewart put the Panthers ahead, 89-58 before closing the 89-61 victory.
With the win, the Panthers open the 2022-23 season with a 1-0 record. The team will next take the Morris College Hornets in Homecoming. For more information on Claflin men’s basketball, contact the Claflin University Office of Athletics Media Relations at (803) 535-5548 or log on to www.athletics.claflin.edu.
