UVI Buccaneers Dominate V.I. Elite in 115-76 Victory
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
VI Elite | 41 | 35 | 76 |
|
Virgin Islands | 54 | 61 | 115 |
The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) men's basketball team dominated Virgin Islands Elite in a 115-76 victory at the Elridge Blake Sports and Fitness Center on Friday in the team's second exhibition game of the season. The high-powered Buccaneers offense has now scored over 100 points in back-to-back games, a threshold that the team did not surpass last season.
UVI led by just 13 points at the half, 54-41, after trailing early in the period. However, an up-tempo offense and feisty defensive play in the second half allowed the Buccaneers to go on a 23-5 run that put the game out of reach, with the home team leading by 44 points with just over seven minutes to go in the game.
Junior guard Amayoa'ah Phillips erupted for 26 points on the night, recording 13 points in both halves. Phillips shot an efficient 12-for-18 from the field and 2-for-3 from three-point territory.
Four other Buccaneers also scored in double figures. Senior forward Edwin Solis scored 16 points, sophomore guard Chad Molloy added 13 points, and senior forward Nasir Watson and freshman guard Elijah Peltier contributed 10 points each in the Buccaneers' win.
Off the bench, sophomore guard Khaleed Heywood was able to get his teammates involved as he dished out seven assists.
The Buccaneers were active on the defensive end of the floor as well, as they forced 16 turnovers by their opponents. Heywood led the team with four steals, while Peltier added another three. Solis, the team's rim protector, blocked three shots on the evening.
UVI controlled the game from inside the paint, scoring an astounding 68 points down low and outrebounding their opponents 41-21. The team also shot a sensational 60.5% from the field and 61.5% from behind the arc.
"It was a great offensive performance by the team," said head coach Kevin Sheppard in a post-game interview. "We shared the ball very well, recording over 20 assists which led to efficiency in the offense. I wasn't completely satisfied with our defense in the first half, but we made some adjustments and got the job done at the defensive end of the floor in the second half. Overall, a very good team win."
For VI Elite, Zion Jones led the way with 22 points.
The Buccaneers now set their sights on a road trip to South Florida to open up the regular season. The team will visit St. Thomas University on November 24 for the first game of the three-game swing, followed by matchups with Keiser University and Florida National University on November 25 and 26 in West Palm Beach at the 2024 Seahawk Thanksgiving Classic hosted by Keiser University.
