The Jonas T. Kennedy Center is the site tonight of the "Battle of the Panthers" between Claflin University and Clark Atlanta University.
The doubleheader kicks off at 5:30 p.m. with a women's matchup between the undefeated Pantherettes of Orangeburg and the Lady Panthers of Atlanta. Claflin is coming off a week layoff following last Saturday's 66-58 come-from-behind road victory over Kentucky State.
The Pantherettes (2-0) scored 40 second-half points, led by LaToya Savage's 20 points and a second straight double-double (18 points, 14 rebounds) by former Orangeburg-Wilkinson product Jayshaun Bailey to rally from a 13-point halftime deficit. For the season, Bailey is averaging 16 points and 12 rebounds a contest.
They face a Lady Panthers' team which had its two-game winning streak snapped Thursday by Tuskegee 70-41. Head coach Vanessa Moore returns guards Whitney Reid, Danielle and Mary Walker and forward Jessica Bryant, four juniors and a freshman (forward Brittany Bell) for Clark-Atlanta (2-2).
The Claflin women will have a quick turnaround as they will have to travel overnight to Charlotte, N.C. to face Johnson C. Smith in a 2 p.m. game.
Following the women's contest, it's an all-Panther matchup when Claflin (3-1) faces Clark-Atlanta (2-1). This is the second home game in five games in which Claflin is facing an Atlanta-based team, having defeated Morehouse 51-45 to avenge its lone loss.
The Panthers of Orangeburg won despite shooting just 28.8 percent from the field, Jerome Starr and Karl Ray, who's averaging 12.5 points per game, each scored 10 in the victory.
Clark Atlanta looks to rebound from Thursday's 53-52 setback at Tuskegee, the team's first loss of the season. Oklahoma State transfer forward Al Burt has posted a double-double in each of the three games and Clark Atlanta has received contributions from redshirt freshman guard Najee Lane, who originally enrolled at South Carolina State but never played before transferring and has averaged 13.5 points in the first two games.
Along with looking for a doubleheader sweep, Claflin is hoping to gain final approval to receive full-fledge NCAA Division II status next season. The NCAA is in town this weekend to complete its final report on Claflin which would allow it to complete its transitional period from the NAIA a year early in order to become eligible to compete for championships in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
The NCAA is expected to make a final decision in mid-December.