The University of the Virgin Islands women and men basketball teams were in Wilberforce, Ohio. Their first two games were a doubleheader against a familiar foe as Wilberforce University participated in UVI’s HBCU tournament earlier this month. The Bucs concluded the three-game road trip with a visit to Central State University, also located in Wilberforce, Ohio.
November 18, 2021
Women – University of the Virgin Islands 79 – Wilberforce University 77
The UVI women continued their winning ways as they just got by Wilberforce University Lady Bulldogs 79-77. The Lady Bulldogs are responsible for the only blemish in UVI’s 4-1 record going into this game. The two teams squared off at UVI’s inaugural HBCU basketball tournament in the Sport’s and Fitness Center earlier this month.
The Lady Bucs used a strong shooting performance to secure this nail-biting win. The Buccaneers shot 49% from the field, including 58% from long range. The Lady Bucs made all but one of their 15 free throws attempted in this game. That’s 93% from the charity stripe. UVI was also dominant on the boards snatching 55 rebounds to the Lady Bulldogs 39. The Lady Bucs defense held the Lady Bulldogs to a respectable 42% shooting from the field. The Bulldogs took 25 three-point shots in this game but connected on only six.
Melea Lovelace led the way for the Lady Bucs scoring 19 points, five of them three-pointers, and handed out eight assists. Kaeani Berry and Amber Appiah-Kubi had double-doubles, both scoring 15 points. Berry gathered 16 rebounds while Appiah-Kubi pulled down 10. Kadai Greene-Tucker and E’Taja Thompson paced the Bulldogs respectfully with 19 and 15 points.
Men – University of the Virgin Islands 84 – Wilberforce University 71
The University of the Virgin Islands men’s basketball team earned their first win of the season, defeating Wilberforce University Bulldogs in Wilberforce, Ohio, on Thursday. The Bucs used a 53-point solid first half to build a 25-halftime cushion. UVI’s twin towers made their presence known in this one as 6’10” LiWayne Richardson dropped a game-high 20 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. Will Boyd, also 6’10”, scored 12 points but ripped down a game-high 21 boards. The home team simply could not keep up as UVI held them to 33% shooting from the field. Kyle Cardenas and Justin Kerney led the way for the Bulldogs, each scoring 17 points in the loss.
This win gave the Buccaneers a (1-5) record.
November 19, 2021
Women – Wilberforce University 73 – University of the Virgin Islands 56
Wilberforce Lady Bulldogs were not as gracious hosts as they were the night before as they defeated the Lady Buccaneers 73-56. UVI could not repeat their outstanding shooting performance from the day before as all their percentages dropped considerably in this game. The Bucs field goal percentage sank to 38%. They only made five of 20 shots from behind the arc. The free-throw line wasn’t so charitable as that percentage plummeted 43 points from the day before. Despite the Lady Bucs shooting woes, they were only down two points going into the final quarter, 48-46. But the fourth quarter belonged to the Lady Bulldogs as they scored 25 points in the frame.
Nia McCormick just missed a double-double for the home team with 16 points and nine boards. E’Taja Thompson also scored 12 points for Wilberforce. UVI’s Kierra Neal scored 19 points, and Amber Appiah-Kubi and Melea Lovelace respectfully added 14 and 12 points. Mia Davis snagged a game-high 14 rebounds for Lady Bucs.
Men – Wilberforce University 82 – University of the Virgin Islands 73
The University of the Virgin Islands men also could not duplicate their effort from the night before as they lost to Wilberforce University Bulldogs 82—73. Foul trouble kept one of the Bucs big men on the sideline for much of this game. Despite a heroic effort by Jamal Norris, who put up 33 points and dished out five assists, it wasn’t enough to get the Bucs the win. LiWayne Richardson was one rebound away from a double-double scoring 14 points and collecting nine rebounds. The Bucs shot a respectable 46% from the field.
Cali Davis’ 21 points fueled Wilberforce Bulldogs’ offense. Tyrell Hearndon also contributed 10 points. Both players grabbed a team-high six rebounds. The Bulldogs shot 49% from the floor, including eight three-pointers.
November 20, 2021
Women – Central State University 92 – University of the Virgin Islands 71
The University of the Virgin Islands Lady Buccaneers visited Central State University Lady Marauders in their road trip final game. The Lady Buccaneers’ shooting troubles continued as they shot 34% from the field. They missed all 12 attempts from behind the three-point line. This was the Lady Marauders’ first game of the season, but they seem to already be in mid-season form scoring 92 points. This was a five-point game up at halftime, but Central State widened the margin in the third and put the game away early in the fourth. The Lady Marauders had stellar performances by Cathryn Jones with 23 points and Kenedi London scoring 15. Amber Appiah-Kubi was one rebound shy from giving UVI three double-double performers. Appiah-Kubi scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Kierra Neal recorded 15 points and 12 rebounds. Her teammate Kaeani Berry scored 12 points and took down 14 rebounds.
Men – Central State University 79 – University of the Virgin Islands 63
On Saturday, Central State University Marauders welcomed the University of the Virgin Islands Buccaneers in Wilberforce, Ohio. This was a game of runs. The home team jumped out to a 6-0 lead. Then UVI scored 24 points over the next seven minutes while holding the Marauders to one point, building a 17-point lead. Central State responded with an 11-0 run to end the half shrinking UVI lead to a manageable seven points. The Marauders took complete control of this game in the second half, outscoring the Bucs 48-25. Central State’s Orion Monford scored 14 of his 22 points in the second. His teammate Raymon Adams also had a productive second frame scoring 13 of his 20 points during that time. Jamal Norris led the Buccaneers with a game-high 30 points. UVI’s big men LiWayne Richardson contributed 10 points and corralled nine rebounds. Will Boyd collected a game-high 14 rebounds.
The Buccaneers returned home over the weekend and will depart for another three-game road trip. UVI’s first stop is in Jacksonville, Florida, where they will take on Trinity Baptist College on Friday, December 10, 2021. The women will take the court at 6 p.m. while the men will tip-off at 8 p.m. The teams will then head to Georgia to play their final two games of this calendar year. On Sunday, December 12, 2021, the College of Coastal Georgia will host the Buccaneers in Brunswick, Georgia. The Lady Bucs game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., with the men starting at 4 p.m. On Wednesday, December 15, 2021, the Lady Buccaneers game will commence at 5:30 p.m., and the Buccaneers game will follow two hours later. These final two games will be played in Cleveland, Georgia, against Truett McConnell University. All times listed are Eastern Standard-Times. You can follow the Bucs at www.UVIAthletics.com.
