MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Clark Atlanta men's basketball played twice from the Volunteer State in the first action after the Christmas break losing the opener of the road trip at Lane 80-74 before winning at LeMoyne-Owen 76-73.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Lane 80, Clark Atlanta 74
Score: Clark Atlanta 76; LeMoyne-Owen 73
Record: Clark Atlanta (8-5; 2-1 SIAC)
Date: Dec. 31, 2016 & Jan. 2, 2017

HOW IT HAPPENED (LANE GAME):
First Half | Tajai Johnson opened the scoring with a jumper after just 43 seconds of action. CAU would lead twice by nine points in the opening half, 19-10 and 21-12, with the second margin reached on a layup by Samson Akilo with 10:34 remaining before the intermission. Lane would close the half on a 17-8 run as the score would be tied 29-29 after the opening 20 minutes.
 
Second Half | The FT line was where the first three points in the second half were scored for CAU as Damien Davis made the second of two before Johnson went 2-for-2. Davis would later add a layup as CAU opened the second half on a 5-0 run to lead 34-29. The scoring went back-and-forth until the game was tied 67-67 with 3:33 left in the game as Lane would close out the game on a 13-7 run.

TEAM NUMBERS:
Clark Atlanta shot 21-for-60 (35 percent) from the floor and went 25-for-31 (80.6 percent) from the FT line.
 
The Panthers held the edge in points off turnovers, 19-16, as the Dragons were forced into 11 turnovers.

INDIVIDUAL NUMBERS:
Four Panthers reached double-digits in scoring led by 20 points from Lawrance Triplett. Johnson and Derek Harper each scored 14 points and Tim Sanders scored 12.
 
Triplett added 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season, he also posted a game-high four steals.
 
Sanders led the Panthers with three assists.

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HOW IT HAPPENED (LeMOYNE-OWEN GAME):
First Half | After falling behind 4-0 to start the game, Johnson took the pass from Anthony Williams and connected on a 3-pointer. CAU fought back to tie the game, 9-9, on a Williams jumper. With 8:42 left in the opening half CAU led 29-17 after Sanders was good from 3 on the Akilo assist. LOC would take the 32-31 lead before Clark Atlanta ended the half on a 7-2 lead to hold the 38-34 advantage at the intermission. 
 
Second Half | CAU would lead by four points a few times early in the second half before trailing, 64-61. Derek Harper tied the game with a 3-pointer with 7:33 remaining in the game. Harper would add a layup, a 3-pointer, a dunk, and a FT during a 10-5 CAU run that saw the Panthers lead 74-69 with 3:05 left to play. LOC cut the lead to just one point before Williams and Triplett each notched a FT to seal the 76-73 come-from-behind victory.

TEAM NUMBERS:
Clark Atlanta shot 30-for-66 (45.5 percent) from the floor while going 8-for-17 (47.1 percent) from the FT line. The Panthers were good on 8-of-25 from 3-point range.
 
CAU held the advantage in second chance scoring, 16-8, bench scoring, 30-20, points in the paint, 30-28, fast break scoring, 14-10, and points off turnovers, 17-13. The Panthers forced 12 Magician turnovers in the game.

INDIVIDUAL NUMBERS:
With 3:05 left in the game Harper drove the lane and dunked over the Magician defense and was fouled on the play. The ensuing made FT attempt gave Harper 1,000 career points at CAU.
 
Harper (20) led four Panthers in double-digit scoring as Johnson (15), Triplett (14) and Akilo (10) all scored in double figures.
 
Akilo posted a season-high eight rebounds. Sander and Williams tied for the game-high with six assists each.

UP NEXT:
CAU returns home for the next two games as SIAC action returns to Epps Gymnasium with Central State visiting on Jan 5 and Kentucky State visiting on Jan. 7.