CHARLOTTE, NC - The Claflin Panthers (20-10) claimed the inaugural Black College Invitational Championship with a 64-54 win over the Virginia Union Panthers (16-16). After taking a deficit into the locker room at halftime, the Panthers stormed back for a big second half to claim the win and the title as the first Black College Invitational Champions.
 
As they'd done all season long, the Panthers used a balanced attack to claim the win. The team combined to shoot 35.6% (21-of-59) to claim the win, including shooting 30% (10-of-30) from the three-point line. Claflin senior guard Jailen Williams led the way with 19 points and three steals in the game. Fellow senior John Whitehead, III, added 13 points with five rebounds while senior guard Gregory Spurlock added 12 points with two assists. Senior forward Zion Obanla led the Panthers' rebounding efforts with 10 rebounds as well.
 
Things didn't look good in the first half, but the Panthers kept the game within reach. Claflin fell behind by as many as 11 points with 7:49 left in the first half, but the team's resilience began to shine through as they chipped away during the remainder of the half. The Panthers held Virginia Union without a field goal for the final four minutes of play and trailed by just five points, 32-27, after a pair of Williams free throws in the final seconds of the first half.
 
The second half was when the Panthers really began to shine as the team held Virginia Union to just 22 points and claimed the win. The Panthers erased their deficit in the first six minutes of the half when a Whitehead, III, three-pointer with 14:03 left to play gave the Panthers a 36-34 lead and capped a 9-2 Claflin run. From there, the two teams continued to go back and forth trading the lead before the Panthers took control of the game with a 13-2 run that was capped by a three-point play from junior guard Guy Fauntleroy. The effort left the Panthers with a 50-39 lead with 8:03 left to play. From there, the Panthers held Virginia Union at bay and pulled away for the win and the historic championship.
 
With the win, the Panthers claim the first championship in the Inaugural Black College Invitational Championship. The win also completes a 20-10 record for the Panthers, giving the team their first 20-win season since 2018.
 
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.