Sheppard Picks up First Win as UVI Defeats Florida National
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, November 27, 2024 – Head coach Kevin Sheppard achieved his first coaching victory as the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) men's basketball team defeated Florida National University 77-69 in the second game of the Keiser University Thanksgiving Classic in West Palm Beach, Florida. Despite starting the road swing with two losses, UVI was able to bounce back and secure its first victory of the season.
"It felt good to get that win but it's not about me, it's about our guys and the goals we want to accomplish this year as a team," said Sheppard. "Playing three consecutive days is challenging, but the determination and resilience of my team demonstrated our strength. I was pleased with the effort overall during this three-game stretch against some formidable opponents. We ended on a positive note, but we won't celebrate one win too much, we are focused on our next opponent and continuing to develop a winning program."
In their initial game of the road trip, UVI faced a familiar opponent in St. Thomas University of Miami Gardens, Florida. Although the Buccaneers took an early lead, they ultimately fell short with a final score of 88-77. Seniors Nico Thomas and Jalil Langston, junior Amayo'ah Phillips, and sophomore Chad Molloy all scored in double-digits, however, it was not enough to secure the win.
The following day, the Buccaneers competed against Keiser University, the host of the Thanksgiving Classic. Unfortunately, the team suffered a defeat, bringing their season record to 0-2 after an 86-63 loss at the Student Life Center on the campus of Keiser. The loss was primarily attributed to the Buccaneers committing 18 turnovers, an unusually high number of errors for the team.
On the final day of the Thanksgiving Classic, UVI clinched its first victory of the season by defeating Florida National University 77-69. The Buccaneer offense displayed significant improvement as the team shot 39% from the field and 35% from the three-point line, both categories where the team improved from their previous two outings. On the defensive end of the floor the Buccaneers were able to force 24 turnovers by their opponents. Phillips led the team with 20 points, while sophomore guard Khaleed Heywood achieved his first double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
The next opportunity for UVI to compete will be in the Wilberforce University Pod, where teams from the Historically Black College and University Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) will compete in cross-divisional pool play (East vs. West) from December 13 to 17 in Wilberforce, Ohio. This will mark the Buccaneers' first conference game since being predicted to finish 11th in the conference in the HBCUAC Preseason polls. All games will be streamed live via the HBCU+ app.
