The Clark Atlanta University Lady Panthers are back on the floor at the Birmingham Crossplex's Bill Harris Arena today at 1 p.m. CST when they take on Clafin in the semifinal round of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament.

The Lady Panthers (18-8) are coming off a tough, 60-54 win over Miles in Wednesday's quarterfinals.  Claflin (17-12) defeated LeMoyne-Owen 58-55 Thursday.

CAU defeated Claflin twice this season – 76-55 in L.S. Gymnasium on Jan. 22, and 52-49 on the road on Feb. 5.  That first win ended a five-game winning streak for Claflin, while the second win was part of a Claflin four-win losing streak.   But Claflin has now won four games in a row, including their win over the West Division No. 2 in the tournament, LeMoyne-Owen.

Clark Atlanta features the SIAC's Women's Coach of the Year in Yolanda Moore, the conference's Freshman and Newcomer of the Year in Naomi Holloway, the SIAC steals and assists leader in Marissa Mandeldove and the conference's leading rebounder in Lauren Turner.  Mandeldove, Holloway and Turner all were All-SIAC picks. 

CAU is the only conference team to rank in the top four in scoring offense (4^th – 66 points per game) and scoring defense (4^th – 62 ppg), while Claflin has the SIAC's stingiest defense, giving up only 58 points per game. 

Moore has told her team that none of that matters at this point of the season when every team is looking to survive and advance each day.

"It's going to be a dogfight every single night," Moore said after the Miles win Wednesday.  "They are hungry just like we are hungry. Everybody came into this tournament with one thing in mind, and that's winning a championship."