Claflin Host Rival Benedict on Thursday

Morris Wright

2/20/2019 7:51:00 PM

Orangeburg, S.C. - Anytime Claflin University and Benedict College gets together on the basketball court, it's very intense, and Thursday (Feb. 21) should be no different when Claflin host its intrastate rival in the regular-season finale for both teams at the Tullis Arena.

It will be Senior Day as members of both programs and the cheerleading team will be honored between the women's and men's contest. The Lady Panther seniors include Ashley Fields, Deja Dickens, and Carmen Robinson, while the men will have Triston Thompson, Danny Brown, Austin Lawton, Jordan Jones and Ahmad Ray.

Kendra Covington and MarTisha Wright from the cheerleading team will also be honored.

Action tip-off with the women's contest at 5:30 p.m. followed by the men's matchup approximately 20 minutes after the senior presentation.

This will be the second double header this season between Claflin, which holds membership in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), and Benedict that belong to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).

In the first encounter in the Columbia last month, before a large crowd, Claflin won both games, 70-60 for the women and 73-64 on the men side.

The women's contest will feature a Claflin team that defeated fellow CIAA foe in Livingstone College 66-58 on Monday, ending a three-game losing streak. Claflin evened its season record at 13-13.

The last team Claflin defeated before losing three straight CIAA contests was Benedict, who was ranked sixth in the D2SIDA South Region Poll at the time. In that game, Fields dropped in 20 points along with 13 rebounds for a double-double.

Fields has recorded nine double-doubles this season and leads the Lady Panthers in scoring at 16.1 points. Over the last six games, she is averaging 18.5 points.

Another offensive threat for Claflin is Dashia Jackson at 12.5 points. Jackson, who is second on the team in three-pointers with 47, has scored in double-figures in nine of the last 12 games, averaging 14.2 points during that span.

Also scoring in double-figures for Claflin is Dickens at 11.0 points with 47 three-pointers.

As for Benedict, the Lady Tigers will come to town fresh off an impressive 89-55 win over Clark Atlanta University to wrap up SIAC play at 15-0 record and 20-5 overall.

Ay'Anna Bey poured in a game-high 44 points and pulled down 17 rebounds for her fifth straight double-double and 18^th overall in the win. She leads the Lady Tigers in scoring at 23.8 points and 8.3 rebounds.

Ayanna Armstead is also averaging in double-figures for Benedict at 13.3 points with 56 three-point baskets.

In the men's contest, the Panthers will try to continue their recent dominance over the Tigers, winning seven of the last nine games. During that period, Claflin swept two regular-season series, the 2016-17 and 2014-15 campaigns.

Austin Lawton was instrumental in the win at Benedict last month, scoring 19 points and pulling down seven rebounds. Since the meeting, Lawton has led the team in scoring at 17.4 points with 5.8 rebounds and blocked 13 shots in five games. During those games, he shot 62.8 percent (27-of-43) from the field and 86.9 percent (33-of-38) from the free throw line. For the season, Lawton tied with Triston Thompson in scoring averaging 12.7 points behind Danny Brown who leads the team.

Brown is averaging 13.2 points with 14 games in double-digits this season, including a career-high 29 points against Johnson C. Smith University.

Claflin will enter the showdown one game under the .500 mark for the season at 12-13 following a 77-62 home loss to Livingstone College, snapping the Panthers five-game winning streak.

Benedict is currently 4-22 on the season and losers of its last four games with a 1-9 record over the last 10 games.

Romello Jones and DeShawn Graham are the top scorers for the Tigers at 11.3 points apiece.

After the Benedict games, both Claflin teams will turn their attention to the upcoming CIAA Tournament in Charlotte, N.C. This year's 24-game bracket will begin at the Bojangles' Coliseum on Monday (Feb. 25) and conclude with the semi-finals and finals at the Spectrum Center on Friday (Mar. 1) and Saturday (Mar. 2).

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