69
Claflin CLAFMBB 1-5
82
Winner Virginia State VSUM 4-3
Claflin CLAFMBB
1-5
69
Final
82
Virginia State VSUM
4-3
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Claflin CLAFMBB 30 39 69
Virginia State VSUM 40 42 82

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Morris Wright

Virginia State Downs Claflin in CIAA Opener

Ettrick, Va. – The Claflin University men's basketball team finished with four players in double-figures, but it was not enough, as Virginia State University defeated the Panthers, 82-69, in its 2019-20 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) opener on Saturday (Nov. 23).
 
The loss dropped Claflin to 1-4 on the season and 0-1 in league play.
 
Virginia State improved to 4-3 overall and 1-0 in the CIAA.
 
Noah Jenkins led a balanced scoring attack for the Panthers with 13 points followed by Cornellius Reynolds and Brandon Davis at 12 points each. Devin Smith added 10 points for Claflin, which shot 44.8 percent (26-for-58) from the floor as a team, including five three-pointers.
 
Reynolds and Jenkins led the Panthers on the glass with six rebounds apiece.
 
Francis Fitzgerald of Virginia State led all scorers with 16 points, while teammates Armond Griebe and William Vedder had 12 points each. Griebe led the team in rebounding with seven.
 
The difference in the ballgame came at the free throw line where Claflin was 12-of-27 (44.4%) compared to Virginia State which was12-of-14 (85.7%).
 
The Panthers never led in the contest as Virginia State jumped out to a commanding 24-9 advantage with 13:23 left in the first half. Virginia State increased its lead to 19 points, outscoring Claflin 10-6 over the next eight minutes. The run provided Virginia State with a 34-15. The Panthers outscored Virginia State 15-6 over the last five minutes of the half to trail 40-30 at the half.
 
In the second half, a layup by Smith with 17:11 left in the game capped off an 8-1 run to pull Claflin to within three points. That would be the closes the Panthers would get as Virginia State outscored Claflin 41-31 the rest of the game.
 
Claflin will wrap of its three-game road trip on Monday (Nov. 25) at Virginia Union University.
 
Print Friendly Version