UVI Men’s Basketball Opens Regular Season with a Three-Game Road Swing in South Florida
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, November 22, 2024 – The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) men's basketball team is gearing up to kick off its regular season with a challenging three-game road swing in South Florida. Included in the road trip is an appearance in Keiser University's Thanksgiving Classic.
UVI is entering this road trip with confidence after two impressive exhibition game performances. However, the team is eager to showcase its skills on a larger stage. The Buccaneers will face off against three nationally recognized National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) institutions: St. Thomas University, Keiser University, and Florida National University.
The Buccaneers will start their journey by taking on St. Thomas University (2-3) on November 24th at 4 p.m. at the Fernandez Family Center in Miami Gardens, Florida. Last season, the Buccaneers suffered a 67-49 loss to St. Thomas University, which was ranked #14 in the NAIA polls at the time.
The following day, the Bucs will travel to West Palm Beach to participate in the 2024 Seahawk Thanksgiving Classic hosted by Keiser University. All games will be held at the Student Life Center on Keiser's campus.
In the first game of the Thanksgiving Classic on November 25, the Buccaneers will go head-to-head with the host team at 4 p.m. Keiser (3-1) is currently outside of the NAIA polls but is receiving votes from the committee to
crack the top 25.
For UVI's second game of the classic on November 26, the Bucs will face off against Florida National University (0-5) at 6 p.m. to conclude their road trip before returning to the territory.
"We have a tough schedule right out of the gate, going up against some of the top programs in the NAIA," stated head coach Kevin Sheppard. "However, in order to be the best, you must beat the best. Our exhibition games provided us with a glimpse of our team's potential, and now we must focus on executing our game plan. We will take it one possession at a time and one game at a time."
