Buccaneers Fall Behind Early in Loss to Philander Smith
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Virgin Islands | 21 | 33 | 54 |
|
Philander Smith (AR) | 40 | 30 | 70 |
Little Rock, Arkansas, January 17, 2025 – The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) men's basketball team suffered a defeat in the first game of their three-game road trip against Philander Smith University at Mims Gymnasium in Little Rock, Arkansas on Thursday night. The Buccaneers, who entered the contest with a season record of 5-6 (4-5 HBCUAC), struggled to find their rhythm early and couldn't recover from a significant halftime deficit, ultimately falling 70-54 to the Panthers.
The Buccaneers found themselves down early in the game after a sluggish start, allowing Philander Smith to race out to a 13-point lead in the first half. Shooting woes combined with offensive inefficiency plagued the Buccaneers in the matchup. On the other side of the ball, Philander Smith played aggressively, taking an early lead and showcasing a high-energy performance that left UVI trailing 21-40 at the half.
Despite a second-half surge and efforts to rally, UVI was unable to close the gap, with Philander Smith maintaining control throughout the game. The team's overall performance was hampered by uncharacteristic mistakes early in the contest.
Four Buccaneer players scored in double digits, including the team's leading scorer junior guard Amayoa'ah Phillips who recorded 16 points. Senior forward Nico Thomas followed closely behind with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Jalil Langston contributed 12 points and five boards. Chad Molloy added 10 points and three steals.
Interim head coach Kevin Sheppard remarked on the game's outcome: "I feel that tonight we came out flat, and Philander came out with energy, and they played tougher than us. They ran out in front of us early because of some uncharacteristic mistakes by us, and from that point, it was a fight to get back into the game." Sheppard also emphasized the need to improve in their next game against Wiley University on Saturday.
The Buccaneers are set to travel to Marshall, Texas for the second stop on their three-game road trip, where they will face off against Wiley University (7-8, 5-6 HBCUAC) at the Alumni Gymnasium on January 18th. Wiley University, much like UVI, is also looking to bounce back from a recent loss to Philander Smith in their previous game.
Photo Credit:
UVI Junior Ariana Renault
