Box Score The Clark Atlanta University Panthers broke open a close game midway through the second half with a 29-9 run on their way to knocking off Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foe Claflin University 97-82 Monday night at L.S. Epps Gymnasium.

The win, CAU's 13^th in a row, pushes the Panthers' record to 18-1, 12-0 in the SIAC where they are one game behind first place Morehouse.  Morehouse is 13-0 in conference play.  Claflin falls to 17-3, 10-2 for third place in the SIAC East.

"It's just another game in the schedule," said CAU head coach Darrell Walker.  "I know Claflin is ranked, but I told my players, 'Don't worry about Morehouse.  Don't worry about Claflin. Just worry about Clark Atlanta University.  That's what they are doing.  Taking one game at a time. Eventually those trains are going to crash on the track and see who survives.  And we survived tonight."

The dueling Panthers went back in forth in the first half as the CAU Panthers led by as many as six points while the Claflin Panthers twice had a five-point lead before ending the half on a Tondric Johnson basket to put them ahead 36-35.

Claflin pushed that lead out to eight points early in the second half before CAU's Jalen Mitchell scored eight of Clark Atlanta's next 12 points during a 12-4 run that tied the game at 50-50 with 14:59 remaining.

Nearly four minutes later, the teams were tied at 60-60 when CAU thrilled a loud crowd with a 29-9 run over the next eight
minutes that gave the Panthers their biggest lead, 89-69 with 3:38 left.  During that span, the Panthers got 3-pointers from Akil Douglas, Mitchell and Mark Burton Jr. who had two, to blow the game open.

Burton had six 3-pointers and finished with 20 points, while Mitchell also had 20 points, along with four rebounds and three assists.  Douglas had 15 points and four rebounds, while Anthony Williams added 14 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and a steal.  Jamal Pollydore had 12 points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals.  

Triston Thompson led Claflin with 20 points.

Among those cheering loudly for Clark Atlanta was former NBA star Rasheed Wallace. Wallace, who was seated on the CAU bench, played for the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks when Walker was an assistant coach with the two teams.   Wallace spent a couple of days working with the team, particularly CAU's post players.

"It's been a good experience, not only for myself, but for them as well," Wallace said before joining the team in the locker room.  "They guys have been working hard and that's all you can ask from them.  It was definitely fun."

The Panthers are off until Monday, Jan. 29 when they visit Paine College.  It's the first game of three straight road games – they visit Benedict on Feb. 3 and then battle Claflin again in Orangeburg, S.C. on Feb. 5.  The next Panthers home game is against Atlanta University Center rival Morehouse on Feb. 8 in L.S. Epps Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m.