Panthers battle heat, defeat Trinidad team 96-60

By Charlene Slaughter

 

The Claflin University basketball team had to contend with an extra opponent during their second game of the Trinidad and Tobago Hoops Classic Thursday evening.

 

The team traveled to the city of Maloney in Trinidad to face the Maloney Pacers, and to face a hot temperatures in a non-air conditioned gymnasium.

 

“It takes you back to when you were a little kid playing on the playground outside all day,” senior Phillip Brown said, dripping with sweat following the Panthers 96-60 win. “When you’re younger you don’t get as tired. When you get on the court it takes its toll. Physically you can feel it. The problem comes when you mentally make mistakes. The first game was a little cooler than this. It’s really hard. The challenge is getting a second wind before the other team does.”

 

Brown led Claflin in scoring with 19 points along with Ernest Sinkfield with 19. Also scoring in double figures were Karl Ray with 15 points, Eric Salley with 12 points and Dominic Johnson added 11. Leading the overmatched Maloney Pacers were Kevon Noriega with 19 points, Shawn Lawrence with 12 and Fabrice Fisher added 11 points.

 

“We had to make some strategic adjustments due to the humidity,” Coach Ron Woodard said. “We had to keep doing a lot of substitutions because of the humidity and we have more games coming.”

 

The audience was larger than on opening night, with more fans cheering for both teams. Brown said the Trinidadians have been good competition, and they know the game of basketball, they just haven’t been able to develop their skills in game situations.

 

“It’s almost like they see what’s going on but have not been taught how to do it,” Brown said. “They know about a 2-3 zone but don’t understand how to execute. It’s not so much they don’t know the game, they’ve never seen it before and don’t understand how to do it.”

 

Woodard said the people of Trinidad are enthusiastic about the game of basketball. The tournament is exposing even more people to the game and building interest in the sport.

 

“The biggest thing is they all want to learn the game of basketball and are hungry and doing whatever it takes to promote basketball,” Coach Woodard said. “It’s good for us to be able to assist them in accomplishing that goal. The players are very athletic; they just don’t understand the structure of the game.”

 

An energetic Maloney team kept pace with Claflin during the first half, trailing by just four points, 26-22, with just over five minutes left in the second quarter. The Panther lead would swell to 43-27 at the half with Karl Ray leading all scorers with 13.

 

Claflin had its way with the more inexperienced team in the second half, on its way to a 36-point win. Claflin plays again Friday night, and the tournament ends with an all-star game on Saturday, pitting a combined American team against the Trinidad all-stars.

Claflin students Maurissa Charles, Petrina Phillips and Cindi Lewis, all natives of Trinidad and Tobago, cheer during the game.

 

Phillip Brown wipes his face during the game. The Panthers played through warm temperatures in the gymnasium.

Coach Woodard talks to his team during a timeout.