UVI Buccaneers Fall Short in Thriller
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Virgin Islands (2-3, 0-1) | 31 | 32 | 63 |
|
Southern University at New Orleans (LA) (1-12, 1-2) | 38 | 27 | 65 |
NEW ORLEANS, LA, December 10, 2023 –The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) men's basketball team fell 65-63 to Southern University-New Orleans (SUNO) on Saturday in a thriller that went down to the final buzzer in The Castle at SUNO.
UVI raced out to a 15-4 lead after tip-off and maintained control of the game for the majority of the first half. The Buccaneers led 27-17 until the Knights returned the favor with their own 15-4 run that allowed them to take their first lead of the game with 1:44 left in the half. At the break, UVI trailed SUNO 38-31.
The Buccaneers started the second half with a vengeance, going on a 14-8 run to tie the game at 45 on a jump shot by Nasir Watson. On the ensuing possession, Maurice Smith, Jr. came up with a steal and assisted on a two-point basket by Naythan Shaw-Clarke to take the lead with 12:45 left in the game.
The conference foes battled with several ties and lead changes took place over an eight-minute span. Jalen Monroe delivered the go-ahead basket with 2:48 left in the game to give UVI a 61-60 lead.
SUNO responded with a three-point field goal, but Monroe again answered the call for the Buccaneers as he tied the game at 63 with another basket at the 2:15 mark. Both teams stepped up defensively and kept the opposition scoreless until a made layup by SUNO in the last seconds of the game. The last-second shot attempt by the Buccaneers was unsuccessful.
Smith, Jr. led all scorers with 22 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the field and 2-for-3 from behind the arc. The graduate forward added 10 rebounds to record his second double-double of the season. He also was perfect at the free-throw line making all four of his attempts.
Shaw-Clarke and Jalil Langston also scored in double digits for UVI with 15 and 12 points, respectively.
Jamal Gibson led the way for SUNO (1-12, 1-2 GCAC) with 21 points.
The Buccaneers (2-3, 0-1 GCAC) continue their road trip with another conference matchup at Dillard University on Monday, December 11 at 9:30 p.m. AST. The game will be broadcast live on channel 120 via the HBCU+ app.
