Buccaneers Survive Late Scare for Win No. 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Virgin Islands (2-7, 1-3) | 28 | 37 | 65 |
|
Trinity Baptist (2-7, 0-0) | 27 | 35 | 62 |
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The University of the Virgin Islands Men's Basketball Team survived a late rally from host Trinity Baptist College to collect its second win of the season, 65-62, Friday evening.
After overcoming an early 10-point deficit, the Buccaneers found themselves leading by 13 points with under four minutes left to play. With five seconds remaining, Trinity Baptist hit a three to make it a 65-62 game, and then a UVI turnover on an inbound allowed the Eagles to attempt a game-tying three but they came up short.
LiWayne Richardson led the way with a game-high 18 points, along with team-high totals of nine rebounds and three blocks. Jamal Norris added 12 points and reserve Chris Williams also had a season-high 12 points.
THE ESSENTIALS
Final Score: University of the Virgin Islands def. Trinity Baptist, 65-62
Records: UVI Men's 2-7; Trinity Baptist 2-7
Location: Trinity Baptist Gym; Jacksonville, Fla.
Date: December 10, 2021
GAME NOTES
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Following an Eagles' turnover, Norris made the pass ahead to a streaking Jamari Williams whose fastbreak layup had seemed to put the game away for the Buccaneers as UVI led 64-56 with 52 ticks remaining in the game. However, the Eagles' Ian Kanady lifted Trinity Baptist back into the game with a pair of threes at the 39-second mark and the five-second mark.
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Now only ahead 65-62 with five seconds to play, the Buccaneers turned the ball over on the inbounds pass. With Norris on his hip and Richardson's outstretched arm in his face, Kanady's chance to play hero for Trinity Baptist was way off from deep as time expired.
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With 3:53 left in the game, a jumper from Chris Williams gave UVI its largest lead with the score at 59-46. A pair of Jaren Johnson free throws had the Buccaneers ahead 61-49 with 3:08 on the clock. The Eagles went on an immediate 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 61-56 with 1:22 remaining.
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Holding a slim 34-33 lead, UVI went on a 14-4 run to take command of the game. Richardson ignited the run with a thunderous block on one end and then a vicious dunk on the other end right after. The final field goal in the run was also a Richardson dunk and he added a tip-in layup in the seven-minute span. A Johnson free throw had UVI up 48-37 at the nine-minute mark.
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After trailing 23-13 with seven minutes left in the first half, the Buccaneers finally woke up, going on a 15-4 run to take a 28-27 lead into halftime. Chris Williams kickstarted the run with a tough leaning pull-up jumper, plus the free throw afterward. Richardson added consecutive baskets, followed by another classic three-point play from Chris Williams, which cut the deficit to 25-23.
STAT FACTS
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The difference in the game was the Buccaneers' ability to get to the charity stripe. UVI attempted 35 free throws, making 22 (63 percent), compared to a 10-of-19 (52.6 percent) performance at the line for the Eagles.
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Richardson scored 18 points on seven-of-eight shooting from the field. In addition to 12 points, Norris contributed five rebounds and three assists.
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Will Boyd had seven points and six boards and Eliyah Stevens had five rebounds and four points, both off the bench for UVI.
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Johnson led the team with four assists and was second on the squad with eight rebounds. He also added seven points and two steals.
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Fausto Alvarez led Trinity Baptist with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
UP NEXT
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The road trip continues when the Buccaneers take on the College of Coastal Georgia on December 12th at 4 p.m. EST.
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The road trip concludes with a quick trip up north to Atlanta, Ga. to play Truett McConnell on December 15th. Tip-off against the Bears is slated for 7:30 p.m. EST.
