Basketball tipped off their season against Carolina Christian and it didn’t take long for the offense to catch fire.

To start the game, the Panthers went on a 21-0 run.

“Good defense and first-time rebounds led to some great look in transition. That’s the most fun way to play,” Head Coach Patrick Corrigan said.

The team added to this run and headed into the half with a 40-point lead.

With a big lead, Corrigan said it’s about doing everything together as a team.

“We have to stay the course and focus on one possession at a time. How can we get the best shot together every time down offensively, and how can we be disciplined, focused, and bring intensity defensively to get a stop together every time,” Corrigan said. “The higher consistency of executing that on both sides of the ball, the better the result will be. That’s our focus.”

The team stayed the course bringing home an opening day win 116-58.

Senior Charles Tart III led the team in scoring (23), but juniors Alfredo Abel-Rivera, Sterling Charles, and Gerren Jones each found themselves in double digit scoring.

“It felt great to be back on the court competing. The guys showed up ready to play,” Corrigan said. “Always good to see some hard work in the offseason pay off. It was a fun atmosphere with the home crowd there. Our guys brought some energy and the home crowd added to it.”

In the team’s second game, Warren Wilson came to Swartz Gym.

Similar to game one, the Panthers jumped out to another quick start, and found themselves flying above the rim.

Corrigan believes these quick starts can change the entire game.

“Being ready to play and sustaining focus for 40 minutes is so critical to the final result,” he said. “You never know when the game can break in your favor, so we have to stay consistent with the process of executing on both sides of the ball.”

Warren Wilson was flooded with threes as the team hit 12. Seven different players found themselves in double digits with senior Zavier Measmer leading all scorers (24), going 5-6 from beyond the arc, and the team set a new single game scoring record (124).

None of these were Corrigan’s favorite offensive stats from the night.

“My favorite stats from the game was 28 assists to eight turnovers,” he said. “That means guys were playing for each other and playing to win. We shared the ball and made the right play by giving it to the open man. The ball was really moving and it’s a fun and effective to play that way.”

After a 124-68 win, the 2-0 Panthers take the court again today against N.C. Wesleyan.

“Win or lose, you have to move on pretty quick. We are preparing for N.C. Wesleyan. They are a very good team,” Corrigan said. “They are a program with a tradition of success in basketball with many NCAA appearances. We know that they are going to be very talented and well coached. It’s going to be a battle.”