Box Score Atlanta, GA – With much anticipation of the 2011 season, Clark Atlanta University, the defending men’s basketball Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) champion, maintained the lead throughout most of the game only to let it fade way in a 76-73 overtime loss to the University of North Alabama in the Morehouse Classic Friday at Forbes Arena.
CAU played consistently within its plan to run the floor, play up tempo, and pound the ball inside in the first half. Senior forward Brandon O’Brien led the charge and scored 13 first-half points and helped the Panthers to a 31-28 advantage at the half.
Clark Atlanta led the entire game until late in the second period when the Lions closed the gap of an eight point deficit and claimed their first lead of the game on a Theron Jenkins field goal that gave them a one-point advantage, 58-57, at the 2:00 mark. After trading baskets on a series of plays, the Panthers took a three-point lead 63-60 on a pair of free throws by Logan Shoffner who was perfect from the line on six attempts.
With 22 seconds remaining, North Alabama’s Beaumont Beasley found the bottom of the net from behind the arc after a near turnover that knotted the game at 63. Shoffner’s field goal attempt bounced off the front of the rim as time expired to send the game into overtime.
In the extra period, the Lions opened its largest lead of the game, six points, led by Warrick Mastin who scored six of his 14 points in overtime. Dishone Gregory’s three-pointer with 23 seconds remaining helped the Panthers claw their way within two points but that was as close as they would get to the lead.
O’Brien led a trio of Panthers in double-figures with a team-high 21 points and eight rebounds including four on the offensive glass followed by Willis Brownlee who chipped in 19 and Shoffner who recorded a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. As a team, the Panthers hit 19-of-24 attempts from the charity stripe while North Alabama made good on 13-of-19.
Three Lions scored in double-digits including Beasley who led all-scorer’s with 24 points, Mastin 14 and 10 rebounds and Theron Jenkins 17 points and 10 rebounds. North Alabama shot 35 percent from the field and 32 percent from behind-the-arc.
The Panthers had a slight advantage on the boards and edged North Alabama 54 to 51. Royce Hamilton pulled down 10 rebounds and Brownlee recorded eight for CAU.
Clark Atlanta will be back in action Saturday, Nov. 12, against the University of West Georgia, 6 p.m., at Forbes Arena before hosting its home opener Saturday, Nov. 19th, in a re-match of last year’s conference championship game against the Stillman Tigers at 8 p.m. All CAU home games are played at Epps Gymnasium.
