Buccaneer's Late Rally Not Enough vs. Wiley
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Virgin Islands (5-8, 4-6) | 28 | 43 | 71 |
|
Wiley (TX) (8-8, 6-6) | 32 | 44 | 76 |
Marshall, Texas, January 18, 2025 – The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) men's basketball team fell short to Wiley University in a 76-72 loss at Alumni Gymnasium in Marshall, Texas on Saturday afternoon. Despite a late rally by the Buccaneers, they couldn't overcome the Wildcats, who took the victory by a thin margin.
The game began on a challenging note for the Buccaneers, as they found themselves trailing by 11 points in the first half. However, a strong 10-2 run towards the end of the half narrowed the gap to just three points, setting the stage for an intense and competitive second half. At halftime, the Buccaneers were still behind, with a score of 32-28.
As the Buccaneers emerged from the locker room after halftime, their comeback effort began. UVI briefly took the lead after fighting back from an 11-point deficit, thanks to a crucial layup by senior guard Jalil Langston at the 6:33 mark. However, the Wildcats quickly regained control and extended their lead once again. The Buccaneers made one final push with just over two minutes remaining, but unfortunately, their rally fell short as they were only able to bring the lead down to two points in the closing moments.
"Credit to Wiley on the win, I feel it was a game between two teams that were evenly matched. The difference in the game was the mental mistakes made by us and the lack of concentration down the stretch," said Buccaneers' interim head coach Kevin Sheppard. "We are hanging with the best teams in our conference, we are right there but we have to learn how to finish."
Senior guard Amayoa'ah Phillips led the UVI with 16 points. Langston and sophomore guard Chad Malloy each chipped in 13 points of their own, while senior forward Nico Thomas added 10 points off the bench for the Buccaneers, respectively.
The Buccaneers will return to action on January 20th as they face off against Tougaloo College in a crucial conference showdown at the Kroger Gymnasium in Jackson, Mississippi. The team is determined to secure a victory in order to improve their position in the conference standings, following back-to-back losses in their previous games.
