Written by: Danny Talbert
Men's basketball returns to Mariotti Gym on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. to face Birmingham-Southern.
The Matchup
In the 2022-23 season, the Panthers were 16-11 overall with a 7-5 CCS record. This placed LC at three out of seven teams in the conference. The squad also made it to the semifinals of the CCS postseason tournament but dropped the game to Belhaven (Feb. 24, 2023). The Panthers recently traveled to Montegromy, Ala. to face Alabama State University in a preseason scrimmage (Oct. 30). The Division I team competes in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. LC looked solid and gave the host Hornets a tough game, but the Panthers dropped the scrimmage 90-69. Freshman guard Samuel Moss led the Panthers in points with 24 while shooting 64% from FG, 40% from 3PT and 80% on free throws. The Senoia, Ga. native also accounted for a block, one steal and four rebounds. Birmingham-Southern is coming off of a season record of 16-11. Senior forward Jay Gillispie is a key returner for BSC. Last year, he averaged 12 points, 2 assists and 9 rebounds per game, and led the team in assists (53) in 27 games played. He went on to be voted Second Team Southern Athletic Association. The two teams played a total of twice last season. The LC Panthers won 82-71 (Nov. 18, 2022) and 88-84 (Nov. 30, 2022).
What to watch for
As mentioned, freshman guard Samuel Moss went off in his first scrimmage as a Panther. If he can do this against a Division I opponent in his first game out of high school, it should be exciting to see how Moss develops throughout the season. Watch for how no. 12 runs the offense in a more competitive competition than a scrimmage. Another thing to pay attention to is how senior forward Zac Hill carries the success of last year into this season. Hill played in 27 total games and averaged 14.3 points and 5.7 rebounds last year. He was also voted First Team All-CCS in the 2022-23 season. The senior leader and the dynamic freshman should be a fun duo to watch play in Mariotti this year.
Buy tickets
Season tickets are still on sale and can be purchased here.
When and where
Tipoff is at 7 p.m. on Nov. 8 in Mariotti Gym. Come out and support the LC student-athletes as they begin the 2023-24 season!
