The first day of the HBCUAC Basketball Tournament is in the books, following what was a transcendent slate of games.
We saw a thrilling comeback win capped by a go-ahead shot in the final seconds, a tremendous second-half comeback, and an impressive three-point shooting display, among other things.
Here is everything that went down on Day 1 of the HBCUAC Basketball Tournament.
Men
Fisk 83, Virgin Islands 72
Fisk got the HBCUAC Basketball Tournament action going, riding a strong second half to an 83-72 win over the University of the Virgin Islands. In the final nine minutes of the contest, the Bulldogs outscored the Buccaneers 25-14 to cement their victory. Fisk guard Kaleb Jefferies led all scorers with 23 points, connecting on all nine of his free throws. Meanwhile, Kailon Benton-Hamilton and Nicholas Beaird-Kennard combined for 37 points and 14 rebounds off the bench.
Rust 67, Huston-Tillotson 61
The Rust Bearcats are moving on to the Quarterfinal Round after taking down the Huston-Tillotson Rams 67-61. Trailing by a game-high 11 points with 4:07 remaining, Rust ended the contest on a 20-3 run to secure the win. Free-throw woes plagued the Rams in the second half, hitting just 9-of-19 attempts, while the Bearcats hit 18-of-20. Johnathon Molierce was Rust’s top performer, scoring 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field, and grabbing eight rebounds.
Oakwood 79, Wiley 66
Oakwood overpowers Wiley in a 79-66 win to secure their spot in the next round of the HBCUAC tournament. After a nip and tuck first half, in which both teams traded the lead back and forth 12 times, the Ambassadors took complete control in the second stanza. They outscored the Wildcats 18-4 in the first eight minutes of the half, eventually building a 21-point lead on their way to victory. Jordan Bell paced Oakwood with 25 points and seven rebounds while Grener Polynice nearly pulled off a rare triple-double, recording 12 points, nine rebounds, and eight steals.
Wilberforce 66, Paul Quinn 65
In the most exciting contest of the day, Wilberforce outduels Paul Quinn in clutch time to come away with a thrilling 66-65 win. With 9:06 remaining in the second half, Paul Quinn held a 55-44 lead over Wilberforce. From there, the Tigers missed nine of their last 11 shots from the field, opening a door for the Bulldogs to finish the comeback. Wilberforce’s win was culminated by a go-ahead and-one by Eduardo Diaz with three seconds remaining.
Women
Huston-Tillotson 59, Voorhees 52
In a game in which both teams struggled shooting, Huston-Tillotson does just enough to claim a 59-52 win over Voorhees. The free-throw line proved to be a key contributor to the Rams’ win, hitting 14 of their 15 attempts while Voorhees made less than 50%. Wilashia Burleson and Hayley Broussard each recorded double-doubles for Huston-Tillotson.
SUNO 74, Fisk 59
Southern University at New Orleans cruises into the quarterfinal round with a 74-59 win over Fisk. A 22-8 second-quarter run gave the Lady Knights the cushion they needed to secure victory over the Lady Bulldogs. Markiyah Jefferson provided a significant spark for SUNO offensively, scoring a game-high 24 points and hitting six of the team’s eight three-pointers.
Stillman 79, Dillard 63
Stillman’s depth overpowers Dillard’s trimmed lineup, winning 79-63 to punch its ticket to the quarterfinals. In a game that Dillard had just five players to Stillman’s nine, stamina proved to be the ultimate weapon for the Lady Tigers in the end. They outscored the Bleu Devils 25-14 in the fourth quarter, connecting on 62% of their shots in the period.
