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Triston Thompson is 1st in Assists and second in scoring for the Panthers at 4.0 and 13.0, respectively

Men's Basketball 1/3/2019 1:30:00 PM Morris Wright

Claflin Panthers Return to the Hardwood at Winston-Salem State

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Claflin University Panthers will open the second-half of the 2018-19 basketball season on the road, Friday (Jan. 4), at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU).

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) matchup gets underway at 7:30 p.m. inside the C.E. Gaines Center.

Claflin will enter the game at 5-8 overall and 4-4 in the CIAA following an 82-74 conference loss to Lincoln University (Pa.) before the Holiday Break. The road loss ended a three-game winning streak by the Panthers.

WSSU owns a 5-5 overall record, but is winless in two CIAA outings.

Claflin is led by the foursome of Danny Brown, Triston Thompson, Jaimik Moore and Austin Lawton, which accounts for nearly 65% of the Panthers offense.

Brown tops the team in scoring at 13.8 points including eight games in double-figures. He scored a career-best 28 points against Limestone College.

Thompson is close behind at 13.0 points with 11 double-figure outings and a career-high 30 points against Saint Augustine's University. He will enter the game with 887 career points, 113 points shy of the 1,000 mark. Thompson also leads the team in free throw shooting at 64-of-74 (86.5%).

Moore, who's started seven of the nine games he played in this season, is averaging 11.0 points.

Lawton is averaging just under double-figures at 9.1 points per game since returning to the Panthers lineup on November 29. Lawton posted his first double-double of the season in the loss to Lincoln, scoring 16 points and 13 rebounds. He now has 13 career double-digits games (scoring and rebounds) to go with 837 points and 546 rebounds.

WSSU is led offensively by Robert Colon at 19.1 points per game.

On the team offensive side, WSSU is averaging 80.7 points per game and shooting 46.9% from the field and 35.9 from behind the three-point line. The Rams are hitting 8.3 three-pointers a game with Colon leading the way with 26.

The Panthers are averaging 72.2 points, shooting (43.5%) from the field with 94 three-pointers (36.9%). Brown leads the Panthers in the three-point department with 26 baskets followed by Moore at 15.

On the defense end, Claflin is giving up 72.8 points while WSSU is at 91 points.

The Panthers has won both meetings between since moving to the NCAA Division II ranks. Claflin defeated WSSU, 81-77, during the 2015-16 campaign and 76-73 in a 20-point second-half come-from-behind victory last season.

Following the game against WSSU, Claflin will host Shaw University in a CIAA matchup on Monday (Jan. 7) for Community Night.

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Players Mentioned

#33 Austin Lawton: C; 6' 9"; Redshirt Junior

#04 Triston Thompson: G; 5' 9"; Junior

#20 Danny Brown: G; 6' 3"; Senior

#5 Jaimik Moore: G/F; 6' 5"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#33 Austin Lawton
: 6' 9"; Redshirt Junior
: C

#04 Triston Thompson
: 5' 9"; Junior
: G

#20 Danny Brown
: 6' 3"; Senior
: G

#5 Jaimik Moore
: 6' 5"; Junior
: G/F