Buccaneer's Fall in HBCUAC Showdown with Tougaloo
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Virgin Islands (5-9, 4-7 HBCUAC) | 31 | 42 | 73 |
|
Tougaloo (MS) (16-5, 10-2 HBCUAC) | 39 | 48 | 87 |
Jackson, Mississippi, January 21, 2025 – In a Historically Black College and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) showdown, the University of The Virgin Islands Buccaneers put up a fight but were outmatched as they fell 73-87 to the Tougaloo College Bulldogs on Monday night.
As a result of a slow start, UVI (5-9, 4-7 HBCUAC) found themselves in a tough position in the first half after a run by Tougaloo put them down by 16 points in a game that seemed to be getting away from them early. The Buccaneers responded with an 8-0 run to close out the half, giving themselves new life as they cut the deficit in half. However, that would be as close as they would get. Heading into the locker rooms, the Buccaneers trailed 39-31.
The second half of the contest mirrored the first, where Tougaloo would build on their lead due to the Buccaneers' inability to slow down their offense and attack. The Buccaneers made a valiant effort to rally back into the game, but ultimately their opponents were able to keep them at bay and secure the victory.
Sophomore guard Chad Molloy and junior guard Amayoa'ah Phillips carried the load for the Buccaneers on offense as they each scored 21 points. Molloy shot 8-for-14 from the field while Phillips scored all 21 of his points in the second half.
Other notable performances included senior forward Denny Gonzalez, who made his season debut and recorded a game-high four steals, and senior Eliyah Stevens, who dominated the glass for the Buccaneers with 12 rebounds.
Head coach Kevin Sheppard expressed his thoughts on the tough matchup: Despite the final score, I was extremely pleased with the effort of our guys. We had a long, tough weekend facing three good teams on the road, so we are glad to get two back-to-back home games to try to right the ship and get back to our winning ways.
The Buccaneers will return home to the Elridge Blake Sports and Fitness Center on St. Thomas for back-to-back games against Kuyper College on January 23 and 25 as the team aims to rebound with a win. In the Buccaneers' last contest at home, they were victorious over Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) 89-87.
