Panthers Hold Off Lenoir-Rhyne Bears 28-13

September 2, 2007

Panthers Hold Off Lenoir-Rhyne Bears 28-13

HICKORY, NC- Lamar Little completed 16 of 27 passes for 247 yards and one touchdown as the visiting Virginia Union Panthers beat the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears 28-13 Thursday in the season opener for both teams.

Following an L-R field goal on their opening drive, Tarian Donaldson scored on a 31-yard run early in the first quarter to put Virginia Union ahead 7-3.  In the

second quarter, David Mims recovered a Donaldson fumble near the goal line and took it in from two yards out as the Panthers extended their lead to 14-3.

Following an 87-yard kick return by Matthew Taylor, Lenoir-Rhyne would get the final points of the first half as Andrew Coln connected on a 26-yard field goal to cut the lead to 14-6 at the break.

After a scoreless third quarter, the Panthers would blow the game open in the fourth when D.J. Spellmon picked off an errant pass by L-R quarterback

Dennis Hickman and returned it 29-yards for a score as Union opened up a 21-6 lead on the Bears. 

On their next possession, Lenoir-Rhyne would cut the lead to 21-13 on James Pone's 9-yard run.  Little would put the game away on the Panthers next possession when he ended a 7-play, 70-yard drive with a short 7-yard toss to Jarad Taylor (5 catches for 52 yards) for the game's final touchdown.

Michael Hampton had five catches for 106 yards to lead the Panthers aerial attack, while Donaldson led the Panthers ground game with 79 yards on 21 carries.  The Panthers will host the Central State Marauders on September 8^th at Hovey Field.

Conference Scoreboard

Elizabeth City State        7                    Catawba               34
Livingstone                      6                    Benedict               43
Saint Augustine's            9                    Mars Hill              22
Saint Paul's                    7                     Wingate                26
Virginia State                 7                     Norfolk State       33
Virginia Union              28                    Lenoir-Rhyne      13   

* Fayetteville State visits North Carolina Central in a nonconference matchup on 9/02/07 in Durham, 4:00pm    

Standings Upcoming Games: