Danielle Wright 03/14/10
RUSSELLVILLE,
Ark. – In their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996, the Clark
Atlanta (CAU) Panthers entered this year’s dance as the No. 5 seed,
taking on intrastate foe and No. 4 seed Valdosta State (VSU). After a
valiant effort to upset the No. 6 ranked team in the nation, the
Panthers (24-7) were eliminated from the 2010 NCAA Division-II
Tournament, in a 67-74 loss to the Blazers of Valdosta State (26-4).The game started on a feverish pace, with both teams trading baskets to an 11-11 tie at the 16:53 mark of the first half. The score would remain tied for the next 3:53 until Kevin Harris of VSU hit a three-pointer to give the Blazers a 14-11 lead. Lawrence Williams responded with a lay-
up
to bring CAU within one, but the Blazers pounded the ball inside, got
lay-ups off Panthers’ missed shots and crashed the boards to go on a
19-8 run and grab a 33-21 lead with 4:45 to play in the first period.SIAC Most Valuable Player, Najee Lane, spurred a defensive attack for the Panthers, stealing the ball from VSU’s Tyrone Curnell with 3:57 in the half. A quick pass to Jourdain Blackmon for the lay-up brought CAU within 8, but VSU pushed the lead to 12 on baskets by Harris and Marquis Robinson. As they’ve done all season, the Panthers continued to fight hard, pulling within five on a three-pointer by Kenneth Hunter and a midrange jumper by David Brown. With just five seconds in the half, Harris knocked down a long jumper for the Blazers, giving them a seven-point lead at the intermission (39-32).
The Panthers began the second half with the same intensity with which they ended the first half. Lane forced the Blazers’ Ricardo Lewis to turn the ball over and CAU pulled within four after Williams was fouled on a made lay-up and knocked down the free-throw (35-39). CAU pulled within two after Julius Sudds stole the ball from VSU’s Tristan Crawford and Brown converted the “and-one” play.
Over the next four minutes, Valdosta went on a 12-5 run, which was capitalized by a Christian Hunter three-pointer at the 14:56 mark, putting the Blazers on top 51-42. The Panthers bounced back again, decreasing the lead to six with 9:51 to play in the game. The teams traded baskets over the next few minutes, and after a couple of stops, CAU pulled within four with 4:15 to play in regulation on a Blackmon three-pointer. Blackmon then fouled Ricardo Lewis, who missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Mike Creppy snatched the rebound for CAU. Williams brought the Panthers within two on a lay-up (63-65), but Lewis responded with a quick lay-up for the Blazers.
Valdosta went on a short 6-2 run, giving them a 71-65 lead with just 00:54 to play in the game. In a game where they forced 20 turnovers, the Panthers’ final push to close the deficit came up short, as they fell to the Blazers 67-74.
Valdosta was led by Curnell with 18 points, 16 rebounds and 4 assists. Robinson and Hunter followed with 11 points each, while Lewis added 10 points.
The Panthers’ scoring attack was spearheaded by Williams with 22 points. Lane, who played the entire game, followed with 18 points and 4 steals, while Brown chipped in 11 points.