Panther Men Ranked #22 in Latest NAIA Top 25 Poll

Courtesy Philander Smith College Athletics Department

The NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Poll has been released and Philander Smith has made the cut! As of today, Tuesday, January 15, 2013, the Philander Smith College men’s basketball team has accomplished a great feat, earning a spot in the current top 25 poll.

According to the NAIA press release, “Philander Smith(No. 22) [is] listed in the ranking for the first time since 2000 – 01…Philander Smith brings a nine-game win streak into its next contest against No. 13 Xavier (this) Saturday.

This has not been an easy journey for the Panthers as they have suffered numerous close calls in the quest for success, coming off of multiple overtime and double-overtime wins in the last few weeks alone. However, the Panthers have dug deep and used a combination of offensive and defensive tactics to overcome their competition thus far.

The poll announcement was made on the eve of Philander’s overtime win versus their talented conference opponent, Talladega College. Yesterday, evening in front of a rowdy away crowd, the Panthers once again put their resilient nature on display. In a game that changed leads as quickly as women change their shoes, Philander Smith’s men’s team was able to come out on top.

With top offensive performances from Juvon Demerson (22 points, 7 rebounds); D’Alvin Brown (19 points, 5 rebounds); and Clayton Busby (18 points, 5 rebounds), the Panthers used and all-around approach to get the job done.

With less than 20 seconds left in overtime, D’Alvin Brown fearlessly drove to the basket, drawing increased attention from Talladega’s defenders. As Brown released the ball towards the rim, the defender stealthily snatched the ball from the iron. Consequently, the defender was charged with a goal-tending offense, placing Philander Smith up by one. Talladega was unable to produce on the offensive end, which led to Philander Smith recording its ninth consecutive win and improving its conference record to 4-0 in GCAC play (13-4 overall).

This Saturday, the Panthers travel to New Orleans, LA to take on Xavier College. Tipoff is set for 12pm for the men and 2pm for the women’s teams.