title image via Virgin islands Athletics
Courtesy of Shaquille Richardson, SID, University of the Virgin Islands
Senior guard Maliah LaCour led the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) women’s basketball team with 20 points in a 93-63 loss to Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) Saturday afternoon at the Elridge Blake Sports and Fitness Center in St. Thomas. LaCour’s impressive performance was her first 20-point outing of the season.
UVI (0-9, 0-8 HBCUAC) threw the first blow as LaCour and sophomore guard Ashukamay’ah Phillips combined to score the team’s first 12 points, as the Lady Buccaneers jumped out to a 12-6 lead. SUNO battled back into the game, and the two teams were tied at 20-20 at the end of the first period. Despite their hot start, a sluggish second quarter by the Lady Buccaneers allowed the Lady Knights to take control of the game, and UVI went into halftime trailing 41-30.
In the second half, UVI struggled to slow down SUNO’s offense, and the Lady Knights opened their lead to cruise to victory, giving the Lady Buccaneers the loss in their first regular-season home game of the year.
Head coach Stephanie Cooper expressed optimism about the team’s progress, stating, “We played well in the first half, but we have to limit turnovers to compete in the second half. The HBCUAC is a challenging conference, but we give our best effort for the entire 40 minutes every time we take the floor” Cooper emphasized the team’s commitment to growth and earning the respect of their opponents due to their style of play.
Phillips contributed 19 points, while senior guard Jordan Carter recorded nine rebounds, two steals, and a block.
Lacour also added five rebounds and two assists.
The Lady Buccaneers will face Philander Smith University on January 16 to kick off a three-game road trip. Following that matchup, the team will travel to Marshall, Texas, and Jackson, Mississippi to compete against
Wiley University and Tougaloo College on January 18and 20, respectively. For more information visit www.UVIathletics.com.
