Virginia Union’s basketball teams began their week with a bang after sweeping a doubleheader against Claflin in a pair of nail-biters.
The Virginia Union Lady Panthers dueled with Claflin to the final seconds, getting a go-ahead bucket in the final seconds to claim a 56-55 win.
This win is their first in the New Year, snapping a three-game losing streak to improve to 3-3 against the CIAA and 8-4 overall.
Maya Robinson led Virginia Union with 14 points off the bench, connecting on all five of her shots from the field.
Although the first half was close, Virginia Union led for the entirety, aided by Claflin shooting 26% from the field. The second half would tell a different story with both teams trading the lead eight times.
With 6:59 remaining in the fourth quarter, Robinson scored a layup to give Virginia Union a 46-38 lead, marking the team’s largest advantage of the game.
Claflin responded with a 17-8 run, culminating in a go-ahead bucket by Ashari Lewis that gave them a 55-54 lead with 14 seconds left.
Virginia Union quickly responded, pushing the ball up the floor and scoring on a layup by Bruni Martinez, followed by a forced turnover to secure the win.
On the other hand, the Virginia Union men bounce back after having their 13-game win streak snapped last Thursday, clinching a 66-64 win with some late-game free throws.
Bobby Gardner and Noah Richardson-Keye each contributed 16 points, with the latter shooting 73% from the field.
Like the women’s game, this contest was close throughout, with neither team leading by more than 10 points.
Virginia Union took its biggest lead of 36-29 thanks to a 13-3 run to begin the second half. The Panthers made their mark in the paint, outscoring Claflin 26-14 from the area in the second half.
Claflin would take the lead back minutes later, eventually going up 64-63 thanks to a go-ahead layup by Alex Atkinson with six seconds left.
However, on Virginia Union’s next possession, Travis Vaughn was fouled on a three-point attempt, sending him to the free-throw line with two seconds left.
Vaughn would knock down all three free throws to give his team the lead and the win.
Claflin’s respective losses account remove them from the ranks of the unbeaten in conference play, each dropping to 5-1.
