INMAN, SC - After spending the first two weeks of the season on the road, the Chapman Panthers opened the home portion of their 2022-23 schedule against Blacksburg.
After falling behind early, the Lady Panthers responded and came away with a 68-36 victory over the Wildcats, who entered the contest ranked third in 2A according to the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association. Blacksburg struck first, but never held a lead larger than three points over the first six minutes of the game. A Grace McDaniel three pointer put Chapman in the lead for the first time, 9-7, at the 2:20 mark of the opening frame. “We knew that we had a tough first couple of games (early in the season),” said Chapman head coach Leslie Boyd. “We challenged (the team) to get out there in front of the fans and have fun, have energy, and let their defense turn into offense. I feel like we did a really good job of playing team basketball tonight. We stuck to the game plan, so I’m very proud of them.” McDaniel’s shot keyed a 12-2 run, which gave Chapman a six-point lead through one quarter of play. The hosts carried that momentum into the next stanza, uncorking a 15-3 run to build a 35-17 advantage. During that stretch, Clara Gramling scored nine of her game-high 19 points, which included a triple from the wing. In the second half, a 13-1 outburst, which included a personal 6-0 run by Caroline Garner & a trio of assists by Krislyn Wilder, helped the Lady Panthers secure the win. “The girls have worked hard all summer on sharing the ball and (making) one more (pass),” Boyd stated. “I feel like during the game tonight, they really made sure that we were getting the best shot possible (on) each possession.” Kara Twitty scored nine points for Chapman, along with eight points apiece from McDaniel and Garner. Wilder and Elliot Miller also tallied seven points each for the Lady Panthers. Danica Henderson led Blacksburg with a team-high 18 points. BOYS – Chapman 80, Blacksburg 73 In the boys’ game, Chapman saw an early three-point lead turn into a seven-point deficit due to a 12-2 run by the Wildcats. The Panthers outscored Blacksburg by four points in the last 1:16 of the first quarter, which made it an 18-17 deficit. The Panthers found a groove on the offensive end of the floor and used a 13-2 run to take a 30-22 lead with 5:34 remaining in the first half. Leading by nine points at intermission, Chapman extended their lead to 57-41 with 4:38 left in the third quarter, only to see the Wildcats utilize a 15-5 run and cut the Panthers’ lead down to six entering the fourth quarter. In the final stanza, Chapman’s largest lead was three possessions (71-62 at 4:35). Blacksburg's late rally cut the Panthers' advantage down to four points twice in the last minute of regulation, but the hosts made the most of their opportunities at the charity stripe down the stretch to hold on for the win. Cunningham posted a game-high 34 points for the Panthers, followed by Daniel Johnson and Colt McAlister with 17 and 11 points, respectively. The Panthers will have a quick turnaround as they make the trip up Highway 11 to Chesnee for a non-conference showdown on Wednesday, beginning with the girl’s game at 6 PM as the boys’ game will follow at approximately 7:30 PM. -Justin Mathis Comments are closed.
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