Benedict, Claflin Face Off in Pivotal SIAC East Contest
Orangeburg, S.C. — With just four games remaining in the regular season, the Claflin University men’s basketball team continues to be in contention for the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Eastern Division Title. The Panthers chances at the top spot will be on the line tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 15, when they host intra-state rivals Benedict College in a SIAC Eastern Division contest.
Tip-off for the pivotal matchup will be immediately following the women’s game against Benedict at approximately 7:30 p.m. in Tullis Arena.
Claflin, who is ranked 7th in the final South Region of the Men’s Basketball Division II Media Regional Poll sponsored by D2SIDA, sits one game behind Benedict in the division with a 10-4 record. The Panthers are 15-7 overall.
Benedict enters the game with an 11-3 SIAC record and 14-9 overall.
As a team statistically, Claflin is scoring 4.1 more points per game than Benedict (76.7-72.6) and are allowing 1.7 fewer points per game (69.5-71.2).
The Panthers have two players scoring in double-digits as Ryan McNeill-Moses and Austin Lawton are averaging 12.5 and 10.8 points, respectively. The duo is even in rebounding category at 5.7 boards per contest.
Both McNeill-Moses and Lawton are having solid season all around as McNeill-Moses leads the team in steals with 34 and Lawton leads the team in blocks with 55.
Point guard Triston Thompson is third is scoring averaging 9.1 points per game. He is first in assists and free-throw shooting averaging 3.3 assists per game and shooting 85 percent from the charity stripe.
Quayshun Hawkins and Brandon Morris are averaging 18.9 and 18.1 points, respectively, to lead Benedict. Christopher Spencer is leading the team in rebounding at 7.5 boards per contest.
Claflin will travel to Atlanta, Ga. to take on Morehouse College and Claflin Atlanta University, Saturday andMonday, Feb. 18 and 20. The Panthers will close out the regular season next Thursday, Feb. 23, when they host Albany State University in a makeup game.
