Buccaneer Men’s Basketball Bounces Back with Win over Oakwood
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Virgin Islands (4-5, 3-3) | 35 | 40 | 75 |
|
Oakwood (AL) (1-14, 0-8) | 33 | 40 | 73 |
Talladega, Alabama, January 5, 2025 – The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) men's basketball team bounced back with a 75-73 win against Oakwood University on Saturday at the Dr. Billy C. Hawkins Student Activity Center on the campus of Talladega College in Talladega, Alabama. The game marked their second consecutive match in as many days after competing on Friday evening in their opening game for the second leg of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) Crossover.
UVI (4-5, 3-3 HBCUAC) displayed grit in a challenging contest against the Ambassadors at a neutral venue. The two teams battled for the entire 40 minutes as the game saw nine ties and 15 lead changes. It was senior forward Nico Thomas who made the game-winning layup with 17 seconds left on the clock to take the lead 74-73 and propel his team to victory. Thomas then confidently sank the free throw to secure a three-point play before Oakwood's final possession. The Buccaneers' defense made one final stop, causing their opponents to miss the game-tying basket as time expired.
In a balanced offensive performance, six Buccaneers, including all five starters, scored in double digits. Junior guard Amayoa'ah Phillips led the team with 15 points.
In their previous game on Friday, the Buccaneers suffered an 80-68 defeat against Stillman College at Birthright Alumni Hall in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Despite trailing 44-31 at halftime, UVI fought back in the second half, narrowing the gap to just two points with over four minutes remaining. However, they were unable to erase the deficit as Stillman pulled away for the win.
Phillips was the leading scorer for UVI with 20 points in the game against Stillman.
Jeremiah Miller led the Tigers of Stillman with 29 points in the matchup.
"The final score doesn't always indicate how the game went," said head Coach Kevin Sheppard. "It was a two or three-possession game most of the way as we went toe-to-toe with Stillman until late in the second half. They currently lead the conference, and I was content with the performance of my guys against them. On the other side of the coin, Oakwood was a very good team with some exceptional talent, but self-inflicted wounds by us are what kept the game as close as it was. We have one more game on the road against Talladega, then we can finally return home for our first regular-season game of the year."
The Buccaneers head back to the Dr. Billy C Hawkins Student Activity Center to take on the Talladega Tornadoes on their home floor on January 6 before returning home for their first regular-season home game on January 11.
