Wilberforce, Ohio, December 18, 2024 – The University of The Virgin Islands (UVI) women’s basketball team closed out the HBCUAC Crossover in Wilberforce, Ohio with a 72-53 loss to the reigning Historically Black College and University Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) champion Rust College. Despite a vigorous start, the Lady Buccaneers couldn’t overcome an early setback, that led to a victory in favor of The Lady Bearcats.
The first quarter saw a promising exchange of baskets between the teams, suggesting a neck-and-neck competition. However, turnovers would plague the Lady Buccaneers, allowing Rust to seize a 36-23 lead by halftime. The Lady Bearcats capitalized heavily on these missteps, scoring 31 points from turnovers alone.
Despite their offensive challenges, UVI’s defense gave them a chance forcing 25 turnovers by their opponents. Senior guard Jordan Carter shined on defense with a game-high four steals and a block. Ashukamay’ah Phillips led the offensive efforts with 12 points, followed by Mya Lewis who scored nine points off the bench.
The Lady Buccaneers’ coach, Stephanie Cooper, commented on the game’s challenges, “We got off to a good start but foul trouble made us get into our bench earlier than expected. We’ve made good strides over the course of the HBCUAC Crossover, but ultimately, experience is what we lack as we take on teams that have played over 10 games while we’ve only played a handful. I am confident that we’ll continue to improve in our upcoming matches and be able to play more to our strengths which can yield different results.”
UVI will now focus on a conference matchup with the Lady Tigers of Stillman College scheduled for January 3 at the Birthright Alumni Hall in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The upset-minded Lady Buccaneers will attempt to shock the Lady Tigers on their home floor, with the hope of giving their opponents their first loss in HBCUAC Conference play.
Headline Image Courtesy of @UVI_Athletics
