The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) men’s basketball team escaped with a 64-60 road victory in their second matchup of the season with Oakwood University at the Ashby Auditorium in Huntsville Alabama on Saturday night. The Buccaneers have now won two of their last three games.
UVI (5-14, 3-10) fell behind as they trailed 10-7 early in the ball game. However, the Buccaneers would take the lead shortly after as they went an astounding 20-2 run. It was a two-handed dunk by Senior guard Naythan Shaw Clarke that gave the Buccaneers a commanding 15-point lead (27-12), which would be their largest of the night. UVI entered halftime with a 31-20 advantage over Oakwood.
After the break the Buccaneers picked up right where they left off scoring offensively, but costly turnovers allowed their opponents to get right back into the game. At the 14:22 mark, their lead was down to seven points (37-30). However, UVI responded with an 8-0 run to bring the lead back up to 15.
The sensational shooting by Junior guard Keylin Vance widened the gap between the Buccaneers and the Ambassadors. Vance scored nine of the buccaneer’s next 11 points delivering all his baskets from behind the arc. In just 13 minutes of play, the sharp shooting guard from Portland Oregon recorded 11 points off the bench before exiting the game due to injury.
Despite being down by as many as 15 points, Oakwood would not go away. The ambassadors went on a 12-2 run to bring the lead down to five points, (50-45) with just over six minutes remaining in the contest. With under a minute left in the game UVI’s lead was cut down to just three points (63-60) as the ambassadors scored from behind the arc. A missed basket by Oakwood on their next possession would result in Jalil Langston heading to the free throw line as he was fouled grabbing the rebound. Langston iced the game with the free throw as he sank the first free throw giving his team a four-point lead (64-60) with one tick left on the clock.
Langston led the Buccaneers offensively with 12 points.
Shaw-Clarke added 10 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
For the Ambassadors, Judelin Prophete had 18 points.
The Buccaneers will return home to the Elridge Blake Sports at Fitness Center for back-to-back matchups as they close out the regular season against Rust College and Tougaloo College on February 15 and 17 respectively.
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.