Millersville, Pa. – With possession in the final seconds of the game, Patrell Rogers of Claflin drove from the top of the key and earned a trip to the free throw line where he sunk his second attempt to give the Panthers the 66-65 victory over the Millersville men's basketball team. The Marauders received 14 points, six rebounds, and three steals from Shawn Williams, but Millersville was unable to overcome a cold shooting night.

Millersville (0-1) found itself in an early deficit as it trailed 14-7 after the first seven minutes of play. However, the Marauders reeled off a 13-6 run over the next 10-plus minutes capped off by a pair of Markeith Mont free throws to pull even with 4:29 left in the first half. Both teams would go on to trade baskets as the teams went into halftime deadlocked at 30 points apiece.

Claflin opened the second half with a layup by Ryan McNeil-Moses, but the Marauders immediately answered with a Shawn Williams 3-pointer. Millersville wound off another strong run over the course of the next six-plus minutes opening up its largest lead of the game. A Jon Lott layup capped off the 12-4 run at the 14:06 mark. Lott finished with five points.

The Panthers relied on the three-ball to even up the score. A Triston Thompson trey at the 9:18 mark gave the visitors the 49-47 lead. Millersville regained the lead on a Shawn Williams (63-61) free throw with just over a minute left, but it was the final time the Marauders led Saturday night.  

Claflin was led by a trio of scorers; Trevor Dantzler finished with a team-high 14 points as Adolph Caldwell and Triston Thompson chipped in 13 points apiece.

The Marauders finished with a 30.5 field goal percentage. Senior Demerik Weglinski made his presence felt within the paint earning a double-double with 11 points and 13 boards. Cornell Yarde II made a strong debut for the Ville playing in all 40 minutes while scoring 13 points.

Millersville has lost four consecutive season openers and fall to 8-4 in home openers under Fred Thompson. The Marauders are slated to embark on a three-game road trip beginning in Mansfield with a game scheduled against the PSAC foe on Wednesday, Oct. 18. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.