SHOOTING WOES DOOM PANTHER MEN'S SEASON

The Philander Smith Men's basketball team saw its season come to an end in the most agonizing way in Tuscaloosa, AL, at Stillman College in the 2026 Hope Credit Union HBCUAC Championship, falling 82-70 to Southern University of New Orleans in the semi-final game.
The Panthers struggled to get on the scoreboard until three minutes into the game, when senior Elijah Anderson was able to penetrate the golden dome of the Knights' zone defense for a layup. They trailed at that time 6-2 and found themselves down 20-7 with 10 minutes to play in the first half, following a short jumper by 5'8 freshman guard Kesean Washington over the outstretched hands of a pair of seven-foot Knight defenders.

The Knights began the contest with a lineup adjustment that had not been employed in the previous two matchups, which were split between the West Division rivals.  Shortly after the opening tip, SUNO inserted the burly twin towers of Dorien Booker and Tynerion Jackson to clog up the lane and limit the touches of the Panthers' Raymond Reece, the regular-season Most Valuable Player.  This allowed the Knights to extend their defense outward to guard the long-ball shots.  Reece was held to six points in the first half.

Meanwhile, Jaxon Hampton scored five points, and Anderson four to keep the Panthers afloat over the next four minutes. At 5:41 remaining in the half,  Philander Head Coach Brandon Greenwood inserted key reserve, senior Evan Alexander, who led the Panthers on a 17-3 run, scoring 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting, to take a 36-34 halftime lead.

The Panthers fought valiantly throughout the remainder of the game, but the Knights' massive size and depth proved to be too much to overcome.  The Panthers were limited in second-chance opportunities, outscored in the paint 36-28, and struggled at the free-throw line, connecting on 13-17 attempts. 

Reece finished the game with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field, while also grabbing 19 rebounds.  Hampton led all scorers with 18 points, while Alexander pumped in 15 and Anderson 13.

The Panthers ended the season 18-8, 9-3 in conference play.