A late rally came up just short for the Panthers on Sunday, as the semester came to a close with a 78-74 loss to Clinton Community College. The defeat snapped a four-game winning streak and leaves the Panthers with a record of 7-2. Clinton is now 8-3 overall.

Clinton came out on fire, connecting on 46% from 3-point range while building a 15-point lead in the first half. The Panthers cut into that lead in the closing minutes of the first half, but still trailed 40-31 at the break.

Clinton held a double-digit lead until the middle of the second half when the Panthers started to make a move. Trailing by ten with 11:02 left, the Panthers inched their way back, pulling within one at 69-68 when Marqiis Samuels (Long Island/The Patrick School) sank a free throw with 2:21 left. The margin bounced between two and four points the rest of the way, with Clinton sealing the win with a pair of free throws.

The teams were very close in most stats, with one exception: Clinton made 40.9% from 3-point range (9-of-22) while the Panthers struggled from the long range, making just 15% (3-of-20).

Samuels had a fantastic game, making 12-of-13 from the floor while scoring 29 points. The freshman added 8 steals, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Javonte Long (Harlem/Clayton H.S.) tossed in 18 points to go with 6 steals, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds. Khai Pugh (Syracuse/Nottingham H.S.) closed out the semester having compiled a double-double in each game, finishing with 14 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 bocks, and 2 steals.

Looking ahead

The Panthers have nearly a month off from games for the winter break. The next game will be January 9, 2024, at home vs. Monroe Community College.