CAU Panthers break losing streak, remain undefeated at home

The Clark Atlanta Panthers men’s basketball team defeated the Lane Dragons 77-73 Saturday night. The victory, seventh of the season, was not only the end of a two-game losing streak, but kept Clark Atlanta unblemished at home (5-0).

With the score tied at 71 with 1:23 remaining in the game, Panthers guard Chris Martin was fouled while driving to the basket. His two free throws game Clark Atlanta the lead and a blocked shot on the other end and a dunk the next on the following Panthers possession by sophomore Shemani Fuller secured the victory.

Up until that point Fuller (9 points, 6 rebounds, 4-8 from the field) was having a quiet night. Martin (16 points) and Fuller may be the team’s top two scorers, but it was the play of junior forward Xavier Griffith and graduate transfer Andrew Stewart that sparked the team throughout the game. Stewart connected on a pair of second half three-pointers that tied the game at 68 with just under three minutes to play and gave Clark Atlanta the lead at 71-69 a minute later. The recorded attendance for Saturday night’s game was just 107 people, but when Stewarts three-point field goal went down the building sounded full to capacity.

Griffith came into the game averaging just under four points per game and finished with a season-high 16 points on 5-7 shooting from the field that included making two of his three three-point attempts.

Clark Atlanta will host Lemoyne-Owen College (4-6 overall) Monday night at L.S. Epps Gymnasium. Panthers head coach Alfred Jordan said of the team’s undefeated start at home, “It means a lot. You have to always take care of home,” he said after the game. “We just have to figure out how to carry that consistency with us on the road now.”

The Panthers fell behind by as much as 10 points early in the game before gaining an eight-point lead at the half. Lane freshman guard Kyle Houston (25 points) made a trio of three-pointers during a five-minute stretch to get his team back in the game early in the second half.

Clark Atlanta was out rebounded 47-34 during the game. Asked what he thinks the team needs to do to combat that deficiency, Jordan said, “Film. We will show our guys how we got caught ball-watching and not boxing out.”