Lady Panthers to Open 2021-22 Season at Maryland-Eastern Shore
PRINCESS ANNE, MD - The Claflin Lady Panthers basketball team will make a return to the court, Saturday when the team heads to Princess Anne, Maryland to take on the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore Lady Hawks (0-1), Saturday. After a disappointing 2019-20 season and missing the entire 2020-21 season due to concerns regarding COVID-19, the Lady Panthers will head into the season with a lot to prove.
The Lady Panthers will head into the 2021-22 season with a chip on their shoulders and will look to prove a lot of doubters wrong. When the Lady Panthers last took the court during the 2019-20 season, a plague of injuries hit the team and led to a disappointing 1-26 performance, including a 1-16 record in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) play. By the end of the season, the injuries took their toll with just seven players taking the court for the Lady Panthers. Following the season, the Lady Panthers were picked to finish 12
th in the CIAA Preseason Predicted Order of Finish.
After struggling in the 2019-20 season and missing the entire 2020-21 season due to concerns regarding COVID-19, the Lady Panthers are poised to bounce back with a terrific 2021-22 season. Looking to lead the way for the Lady Panthers will be a strong cast of returnees and a host of newcomers who will take the court for the team this season. Leading the way for the Lady Panthers will be senior guard
Dionna Long who was a selection the 2021 CIAA Pre-Season All-Conference team this season. Before being sidelined by an injury in 2020, she was second on the team, averaging 11.7 points per game with 4.7 rebounds. Her best game came against the Virginia State Lady Trojans when she scored 19 points. The effort tied a career-high with 19 points that she scored against Saint Augustine's. She will be one of five returners to the team. The other 15 members of the team will be newcomers, including 11 freshmen.
The Lady Panthers will open their season with a challenge as they will hit the road to take on the NCAA Division I University of Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks. The Hawks will be looking to make a statement of their own as the team is coming off a 10-21 season and an 84-49 loss to the Saint Joseph's Hawks in their season opener. Graduate guard Amanda Carney and fellow graduate Angelique Taylor led the way for the Hawks with 11 points each in the game. Carney is the leading returner for the Hawks as she averaged 9.3 points per game last season.
The two teams are set for a 2:00 p.m. start at William P. Hytche Athletic Center in Princess Anne, Maryland. For more information on Lady Panthers basketball, contact the Claflin University Office of Athletic Media Relations at (803) 535-5548 or log on to
www.athletics.claflin.edu.
