The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) women’s basketball team heads to Louisiana to open Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) play against Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) and Dillard University in back-to-back contests on December 9 and 11, respectively. This is UVI’s inaugural year in the GCAC and its first conference matchups of the year.
The Buccaneers’ first opponent, SUNO, comes into the matchup at 0-8 overall and 0-3 in GCAC play, which is currently ninth place in the league.
Dillard enters their matchup with the Lady Bucs at 2-5 and 1-1, and have lost their last two games at home which could be an advantage for Lady Bucs on the road.
The Lady Buccaneers enter this road trip at 0-4 on the season and will be in search of their first win. The team is currently scoring 56 points per game.
While the team has gone winless to open the season, they have seen a few bright spots early on. Freshman point guard Ashukamayah Phillips has emerged as a key player for the Lady Buccaneers and is averaging 19.5 points per game in her last two games, including a career-high 23 points vs. Champion Christian College last week. She is shooting 48.7% from the field and 33.3% from three-point territory.
The Lady Bucs leading scorer Kashay bass will also have to be in the mix offensively for them to be successful. Bass averages 14.3 points and seven rebounds per game. In last week’s matchup with Champion Christian, Bass finished the game with a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double. The 5-foot 11 rim protector also blocks two shots per game.
On Saturday, UVI’s matchup with SUNO will tip off at 3 p.m. CST, while Monday’s game at Dillard will begin at 5:30 p.m. CST. Both games can be viewed on the HBCU+ app on Channel 120.
About UVI Athletics
The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and, as of July 1, 2023, competes in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC). Entering the 2023-24 season, the Buccaneers will begin their 17th season of athletic competition. As the only Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the Caribbean, UVI currently sponsors six sports, including men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field. For more information on UVI Athletics, visit UVIAthletics.com.