Panthers Move Up to #24 in NABC Top 25; Fifth in D2SIDA Atlantic Region
ORANGEBURG, SC - The Claflin Panthers continue to rank among the best basketball teams in the nation. The Panthers moved up to the #21 spot on the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the team moved up to fifth in the latest NCAA Division II Sports Information Directors Association (D2SIDA) Atlantic Region poll.
The climb up the rankings follows a steady trend that the Panthers have followed throughout the 2022-23 season. The team first broke into the top NABC Top 25 just after Christmas and have steadily climbed the rankings in the following weeks. The Panthers have been among the D2SIDA Atlantic Region rankings since November. The team first broke into the regional rankings on November 28
th when they ranked 10
th. Since then, the team has steadily rose to their current fifth place standing.
It was the team's strong performance in a pair of key road wins against Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Northern Division foes. The Panthers took a 63-56 win at #19 Virginia Union and followed that effort with a clutch 77-75 nationally televised win over Bowie State.
The Panthers will return to action, Saturday when they head to Salisbury, North Carolina for their first CIAA Southern Division game. The team will face the Livingstone Blue Bears at New Trent Gymnasium.
For more information on Panthers basketball, contact the Claflin University Office of Athletics Media Relations at (803) 535-5548 or log on to
www.athletics.claflin.edu.
