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Men's Basketball Morris Wright

Claflin Host WSSU in CIAA Contest

Orangeburg, S.C. – The Claflin University men's basketball team will be out to make it three in a row for the second time this season when the Rams of Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) comes calling on Thursday (Feb. 7).
 
Tip-off for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Southern Division contest is set for 7:30 p.m. in Tullis Arena on the Claflin campus. It will be Military Appreciation Day and Blackout Night as fans are encouraged to wear black to the game.  Current and former military personnel with ID will be admitted to the double-header for $5.  All non-military fans are asked to wear black.
 
Claflin last won three straight games came during the month of December as the Panthers defeated three CIAA teams: Virginia Union University (72-70), Saints Augustine's University (60-55) and Bowie State University (69-65).
 
During the current winning streak, the Panthers posted wins over arch-rival Benedict College 73-64 (Jan. 31) and Fayetteville State University 68-67 (Monday, Feb. 4), giving them the regular-season of the Broncos. The Fayetteville State victory on Monday was the most exciting of the two as graduate guard Triston Thompson nailed a floater as time expired for the victory.
 
Thompson also joined the program's 1, 000-point club as he scored 15 points, giving him a career total of 1,004 points. For the season, Thompson leads the team in scoring at 13.6 points.
 
Graduate center Austin Lawton led Claflin offensively with a game-high 21, marking the second time this he scored 20-plus and ninth time in double-digits. Lawton is third on the team in scoring at 11.6 behind graduate guard Danny Brown's 13.5 points.
 
The divisional win pushed Claflin season record to 9-12 overall and 7-8 in the CIAA, 5-4 in the division.
 
In the return matchup against WSSU, Claflin will be out to avenge the 96-76 loss suffered last month in Raleigh, N.C.
 
The Rams sit at 9-11 overall and 4-8 in the CIAA after losing their third straight, a 63-50 decision at Virginia Union on Monday (Feb. 4).
 
The Rams feature two high-scoring players in Robert Colon at 15.9 points and William Crandell at 15.6 points.
 
WSSU is averaging 76.7 points a game to 71.1 for Claflin, but the Panthers are a little better defensively allowing 72.2 points compared to 75.8 for the Rams.
 
Following the contest, Claflin will entertain the Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith University on Feb. 11 in another CIAA divisional contest.
 
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Players Mentioned

Austin Lawton

#33 Austin Lawton

C
6' 9"
Redshirt Junior
Triston Thompson

#04 Triston Thompson

G
5' 9"
Junior
Danny Brown

#20 Danny Brown

G
6' 3"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Austin Lawton

#33 Austin Lawton

6' 9"
Redshirt Junior
C
Triston Thompson

#04 Triston Thompson

5' 9"
Junior
G
Danny Brown

#20 Danny Brown

6' 3"
Senior
G