Men's Basketball edges Virgin Islands
In a thrilling encounter at Alumni Gymnasium on Saturday, the Wiley University men's basketball team defeated the University of the Virgin Islands with a final score of 76-71 in a Historically Black College and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) game.
The Wildcats (8-8, 6-6 HBCUAC) pick up their second home victory and move up to seventh in the HBCUAC standings. It's their second victory decided by five points or less.
The game, marked by several key moments, saw Shamir Mosley leading the scoring for Wiley with 22 points, followed by Devon Barshow with 15 points, also contributing significantly with seven rebounds and four steals. Mosley's performance was highlighted by a layup which sparked a critical nine-point run that extended Wiley's lead to eleven with 7:58 left in the first half. Despite a temporary setback when the Wildcats did not score a field goal in the last 2:50 of the first half, allowing the Buccaneers to close the gap to 32-28 at halftime, Wiley University managed to maintain a lead and eventually clinch the victory.
Playing without starters Demarius Pitts and Jalen Bates, Raymond Guillory and Bobby Baker III stepped up when it mattered most in their first starts. Guillory posted 11 points and four rebounds, while Baker III added 10 points, seven assists, and five rebounds.
A slow start to the second half allowed the Buccaneers to pull within one. Cortez Collins blocked a shot and Baker went the length of the court to score a layup, to give Wiley a five-point lead. Collins scored on an offensive rebound to increase the margin to eight. Fisher stole the ball and made a layup and Collins set up a layup for Guillory with a steal increasing the lead to double-digits.
In the next four minutes and thirty seconds, the Wildcats only made one field goal. This allowed the Buccaneers to tie the game at 53 with 6:36 left. Barshow would score the next nine points and put Wiley ahead 64-56 with 3:07 remaining.
The Wildcats will rematch with Philander Smith on Thursday and look to avenge their overtime loss they suffered on Monday. The Panthers won their second consecutive game on Thursday against Virgin Islands and move into fourth in the HBCUAC standings.
For more coverage on the Wildcats visit https://wileyathletics.com/sports/mbkb/index
About Wiley University Athletics
Wiley University sponsors 12 varsity sports, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's outdoor track and field and baseball. It competes in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) and the Continental Athletic Conference for men's and women's soccer.
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