The Panthers notched their second win of the season Friday night at the PE Center. They defeated Northern Virginia Community College 96-91. The teams fourth game and second win of the season was a mixed bag. Yes, they won but sometimes how you win is just as important as winning.

The Panthers started out strong in the first half. They lead by as many as 11 and controlled the boards. They kept the Hawks of NVCC to one shot and were able to execute inside the paint. Nifty inside plays paid dividends for Freshmen Blake Neverdon and Marquise Delahaye. They paced the team with 25 and 15 respectively. The game looked as if it would be dominated by the Panthers, but they got careless and turned the ball over too many times. The double-digit lead was reduced to 7. The last play of the half summed up what has been a problem. A defensive rebound that should have allowed the Panthers get off the last shot in the half at a point where they were leading by 10, ended with the ball being literally taken out of the hands of a Panther. The result was a three pointer as the buzzer signaled the end of the first half. The lead could have been 10 plus, instead it was reduced to less than double figures. In the sport of basketball, they call that a potential momentum swing.

The second half was a repeat of the first. The Panthers came out and attacked the middle and had success. They were able to defend on the other end to run their lead to 16 points. But once again some careless passes and lack of court awareness led to turnovers. The Hawks got excited after a few of those Panther miscues gave them reason to believe they could stage a comeback. The game went down to their wire. The Hawks made the game a one-point contest with one minute and twenty seconds on the clock. At that point, the Panthers came down the court and were able to score thanks to some spins and fakes by Freshmen from Australia, Kut Deng. His layup put the Panthers up by three with less than a minute left on the clock. The Hawks tried to counter by driving to the basket. Fortunately, Blake Neverdon was playing tight and picked the Hawk right off the dribble. The steal and subsequent Hawk foul put Neverdon on the free throw line. He missed both free throws but showed his tenacity by going after the rebound. He was able to get his own rebound and was once again fouled with 27 seconds on the clock. Standing on the charity line where he last missed two, he calmed himself and went through his fundamentals with some shadow strokes. This time he sealed the game when his free throws were money for the Panthers. Sophomore Carlos Green once again came off the bench to hit some timely shots. He was joined in double figures by Freshmen Nathaniel Hodges. They scored 13 and 11 respectively.

The Panthers are getting better with each game they play. College basketball has a learning curve just like high-school ball. The difference is, the time you are given to learn and the arch of that curve. In college the arc from being average to good is high and you don't get a lot of time. To be considered a great team requires even more. Some would call it a leap of faith. In basketball terminology it is simple. You have to believe in yourself and your teammates, trust the process and do it in a timely fashion or as if the game is on the line. These Panthers look like quick learners. Coach Wooten, says "they are learning the hard way, but progress is being made".

The Panthers next play after the thanksgiving break, Saturday December, 2. They lace up against Garrett Community College at the PE Center at 1:00 pm.