Albany, NY - The men's team took on conference rival Paul Smith's College in a very exciting game on Thursday evening. 

In the beginning of the game, the Panthers struggled offensively and only managed to put up 11 points halfway through the period against 21 from the Bobcats. After that, they were able to get a little bit of rhythm going, and saw seven different players find the back of the net on 9 made field goals in the first half.  At the break, they found themselves down 33-23. 

After making some halftime adjustments, the Panthers doubled the number of made field goals, led by senior Clarence Claiborne, Jr. (Petersburg, VA).  The man caught fire and scored 18 in the half alone, drilling 4 threes. He wasn't the only one on fire though as Alex Carrillo (Akron, OH) scored 12 in the half on 5 made field goals. The team altogether played much better, recording 10 assists in the period against only 5 turnovers, outsourcing the Bobcats 51-33 to complete the comeback. 

Down by as many as 12 points, the Panthers secured a lead with four and a half minutes to go and rode that to the final buzzer to ultimately win 74-66. It was a 20-point turnaround, thanks in no small part to Claiborne who finished with a career high 22 points. Carrillo had 19 points and 8 boards while the team collectively forced 20 Bobcat turnovers. 

The Panthers will play next this weekend as they head back up to Maine to take on the UMA Moose on Saturday, and then the CMCC Mustangs on Sunday. 

How to follow the Panthers: For the latest information on ACPHS athletics, visit acphspanthers.com or check out the ACPHS athletics social media platforms on Instagram @ACPHSPanthers or X @ACPHSAthletics. 

Written by Angelo Oddo.