Box Score
Orangeburg, S.C. – The Panthers of Claflin University got a much needed Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory Saturday evening.
Montel Williams scored a game-high 21 points in leading Claflin past Albany State 70-60 at the Jonas T. Kennedy Center.
The victory kept the Panthers within striking distance of second place in the SIAC East Division at 5-4.
Also scoring in double digits for the Panthers, now 8-11 overall, were
Kendall Jackson and
Jarrod Denard with 10 points each.
Adolph Caldwell and
Marcellus Dunn also made an offensive contribution with nine points each.
Jackson was top rebounder for the Panthers with 10.
With the loss Albany State saw its season record dropped below the .500 mark at 8-9 overall and 5-4 in the conference.
The Golden Rams were led in scoring by Joseph Williams with 13 points. Jamorris Gaines added 11 points.
The Panthers used a balanced scoring attack en route to a 37-28 lead at intermission. The Panthers shot nearly 50 percent from the field in the first half. Williams was the big weapon for the Panthers with 11 points.
In the second half, Panthers continue to increase its lead by outscoring the Golden Rams 15-9 over the first 10 minutes of play. The scoring mark gave the Panthers a comfortable 52-37 advantage.
The Panthers biggest lead came with 4:29 left at 63-42 on a pair free throws from Jackson.
Claflin finished the game, shooting 42 percent from the field as compared to 33 percent for Albany State.
The Panthers return to action Monday at home Fort Valley at 7:30 p.m.
