ORANGEBURG, SC (January 29, 2023) – The Claflin Lady Panthers (9-10, 3-8 CIAA) found points hard to come by in a 65-52 loss to the Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls (8-11, 4-6 CIAA), Saturday afternoon. The Lady Panthers put up a great effort during the first half, but some second half struggles proved to be too much for the team to overcome in the tough loss.
The Lady Panthers had quite a few areas of concern in the loss. As a team, the Lady Panthers were held to shooting just 38.9% (21-of-54) from the floor, including shooting four-for-13 at the three-point line. The team also committed 19 turnovers in the loss as well. Claflin sophomore Janelle Sample led the way for the Lady Panthers with a team-high 12 points and four rebounds in the game. Fellow sophomore Lauren Scott added 10 points in the game as well. Sophomore guard Nya Morris added eight points with seven steals and three assists.
The first half was a competitive one in the early going. The Lady Panthers broke out early as a Scott three-pointer at the 6:32 mark gave the Lady Panthers a 10-3 lead. However, in the final minutes of the quarter, the Lady Panthers allowed the Golden Bulls to tie the game, 13-13, heading into the second quarter. The Lady Panthers’ struggles continued in the second quarter as the team allowed the Golden Bulls to go ahead by as many as five points, 26-21, with 4:24 left in the half. The Lady Panthers were able to claw their way back into the game as a Morris lay-up in the final minute pulled the Lady Panthers to within a point, 30-29. The score would remain the same until halftime.
The second half told a different story as the Lady Panthers struggled mightily. The team was outscored 35-23 in the final two quarters. The third quarter wasn’t all bad as a three-point play from sophomore forward Morgan Kelson with 3:10 left in the quarter gave the Lady Panthers a 43-39 lead. Unfortunately, things only got tougher from there for the Lady Panthers. The team ended the quarter trailing, 45-43 after allowing a 6-2 run by the Golden Bulls. The fourth quarter was especially challenging for the Lady Panthers as they only managed nine points in the quarter. The team fell behind by as many as 14 points before ending the game with the 65-52 loss.
The loss was the seventh in a row for the Lady Panthers. The team will return to action, Thursday, when they head to nearby Columbia, South Carolina to take on the rival Benedict Lady Tigers. For more information on Lady Panthers basketball, contact the Claflin University Office of Athletics Media Relations at (803) 535-5548 or log on to www.athletics.claflin.edu.