Bucs Duel with Division-II Central State Before Marauders Pull Away Late
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Virgin Islands (5-3) | 19 | 18 | 13 | 21 | 71 |
|
Central State University (1-0) | 25 | 17 | 19 | 31 | 92 |
WILBERFORCE, Ohio A four minute stretch in the fourth quarter turned the tides of the game and host Central State University ended up winning a closer-than-the-score-indicated, 92-71 game over the University of the Virgin Islands Women's Basketball Team Saturday afternoon.
With 7:24 remaining in the game, a Kierra Neal offensive rebound and layup made it a 63-60 game with the Division-II Marauders holding the slim three-point lead. Over the next four-plus minutes, Central State went on a 21-4 run, resulting in an 84-64 advantage with under three minutes to play.
Amber Appiah-Kubi led the Buccaneers with 22 points and six assists. She also added nine rebounds. Neal, who has scored in double-digits every game this season, continued the streak with 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting. She corralled 12 boards for her second double-double of the season.
THE ESSENTIALS
Final Score: Central State University def. University of the Virgin Islands, 92-71
Records: UVI Women's 5-3; Central State 1-0
Location: Beacom/Lewis Gymnasium; Wilberforce, Ohio
Date: November 20, 2021
HOW IT HAPPENED
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The fourth quarter started with UVI going on a 10-2 run to whittle a 61-50 deficit into three points. The final quarter started with layups from Kaeani Berry and Appiah-Kubi. Back-to-back baskets from Mia Davis and Appiah-Kubi made it a 63-58 game. Davis got an offensive rebound over two taller defenders and then made the contested basket and Melea Lovelace got the strip at halfcourt and found Appiah-Kubi for an easy two points. Finally, Neal returned the game to a one-possession contest with her layup following the offensive rebound.
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Trailing 67-60, Davis got another offensive rebound and found Appiah-Kubi for a layup. However, Central State responded with a three and added two more layups for the 74-62 advantage.
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A pair of free throws from Davis moved the score to 74-64 with under five minutes remaining but the Marauders ended any hopes of a comeback with a 10-0 run.
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The third quarter started with a 13-2 run for the Marauders, which transformed a 42-37 halftime lead into a 55-39 edge. With UVI's 10-2 fourth-quarter run, the Buccaneers had erased the 16-point deficit that they had faced.
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Trailing 36-25 midway through the second quarter, UVI went on an 11-3 run to cut the deficit to 39-36. Appiah-Kubi scored or assisted on the last three field goals of the run.
STAT FACTS
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Against a Central State roster that featured seven players listed at 5'10" or taller, it was the seven Buccaneers that outrebounded the giants. Davis had 10 rebounds, including six on the offensive end, at 5'4". She added three assists and three steals.
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Berry was the game's leading rebounder with 14, including six offensive boards. She also had 12 points, a team-high four blocks, plus two steals. Kashay Bass contributed 10 points, five rebounds, and three blocks as a reserve.
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Lovelace had five rebounds, four assists, and a team-high four steals. Kaya Evans turned in four points.
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Central State was on fire from behind the arc, especially early on. In the first quarter, the Marauders went six-of-eight from deep, leading to their 25-19 lead after one period. For the game, Central State shot better from three (38 percent; 14-of-37) than they did on two-pointers (33 percent; 18-of-54). Cathryn Jones led with 23 points, including 5-of-10 from long range.
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Both teams will have to shore up their free-throw shooting. UVI shot 19-of-33 (58 percent) from the stripe and Central State was an even worse 14-of-31 (46 percent).
UP NEXT
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UVI returns home to prepare for the final road trip of the 2021 calendar year. This December road trip will have the Buccaneers face off against Trinity Baptist College on December 10th, Coastal Georgia on the 12th, and Truett McConnell on the 15th.
