ORANGEBURG, S.C. -- Despite 22 points from guard Kyree Freeman-Davis, the Bowie State men's basketball team (4-5, 0-1 CIAA) fell to the Claflin Panthers (3-3, 1-0 CIAA) 82-67 on the road Saturday in its Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) opener inside Tullis Gymnasium. 

Amare Wimbush joined Freeman-Davis in double digit scoring, tacking on 11 points and two steals off of the bench and Caleb Johnson added six points, seven rebounds and six assists. Bowie State out-rebounded Claflin 38-35 in Saturday's game, paced by Johnson's seven boards.

Bowie State shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting six shots from deep to score 18 of its 35 points. The Bulldogs also pulled down 13 offensive rebounds and scored 12 second chance points. The Bulldogs defense had key moments, forcing 15 Claflin turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 22 points on the offensive end of the floor. Wimbush's two steals led the way individually for the Bulldogs.

How It Happened
The Panthers outscored the Bulldogs 12-5 in the first five minutes of play. Bowie State then saw a deficit as large as 14 before trimming Claflin's lead 11 (43-32) at halftime.

Claflin kept widening its lead after intermission, constructing a 62-36 advantage before BSU went on a 12-0 run to shrink the deficit to 62-48 with 9:47 to go in the contest. The Panthers responded and outscored the Bulldogs the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 82-67. 

Game Notes
» The Bulldogs made half of their attempts from three point range, knocking down 10-of-20 shots.
» BSU put on a passing clinic, recording an assist on 61-percent of made field goals.
» The Bulldogs bench came alive by scoring 37 points to its scoring output.
» Freeman-Davis and  Wimbush came off the bench to score 22 and 11 points, respectively.
» Bowie State lost despite a 38-35 rebounding advantage.
» The Bulldogs defense forced 15 turnovers.
» BSU cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 13 offensive boards in the game.
» Freeman-Davis led the Bulldogs with a game-high 22 points.
» Bowie State got a team-high seven rebounds from Johnson.

Looking Ahead
Bowie State will remain on the road for a non-conference tilt at George Washington on Tuesday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. The game will air live on ESPN+ from the Charles E. Smith Center in Washington, D.C. 

For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 13 varsity sport teams, visit bsbulldogs.com.