No. 5 Philander Smith, No. 9 Wiley knock off Higher Seeds in Dominating Fashion
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - No. 5 seed Philander Smith University overpowers No. 4 seed Talladega College to advance to the semifinals and No. 9 Wiley University overwhelms No. 8 University of the Virgin Islands to secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) 2025 Hope Credit Union Basketball Championship Thursday at Stillman College's Birthright Alumni Hall.
MEN
QUARTERFINALS
No. 5 PHILANDER SMITH 79, No. 4 TALLADEGA COLLEGE 58
Boxscore
The Panthers (21-8) led nearly the entire game, only trailing briefly at the beginning. Raymond Reece powered the offense in the first half with 14 points and finished with 25. He helped the Panthers take an 11-4 lead. The Tornadoes battled back. Malachi Chavis hit a 3-pointer and layup. Shots by Shaun Walker and Arthur Williams trimmed the margin to 19-18 with 6:53 remaining.
Five points from Xavier Alexander sparked a 10-point run for the Panthers. Robert Roberson stole the ball and made a layup. Elijah Anderson hit a jump shot to increase the lead to 11. Philander Smith held a 35-27 advantage at halftime.
Wilfred Campbell hit a 3-pointer to pull the Tornadoes within six early in the second half but it was unable to get closer. Reece made a layup and Alexander hit a 3-pointer to push the margin to 14. Leading by 10 with 7:05 left, the Panthers put the game away with a 10-point run. Anderson hit a 3-pointer and then got a steal and dished it to Reece, who slammed it, pushing the advantage to 22 points.
Along with scoring a game-high, he led all players with 16 rebounds, securing a double-double. Alexander finished with 18 points, three rebounds and two assists. Anderson added 11 points and five assists. D'Andre Lockett finished in double-figures with 10 points and three rebounds. Amorey Womack led the team with six assists.
Walker led Talladega with 20 points hitting nine of 14 from the field. Campbell finished with 12 points, three rebounds and two assists. Derek Burditt led the team with seven assists and six rebounds.
The Panthers advance to the semifinals, set for 5 p.m. Saturday and await the winner of No. 1 Stillman College and No. 9 Wiley University. Philander Smith makes its fifth straight semifinal appearance.
OPENING ROUND
No. 9 WILEY UNIVERSITY 95, No. 8 UNIVERSITY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 72
Boxscore
The Wildcats (10-13) asserted themselves from the opening tip, scoring the first 12 points. They forced the Buccaneers into five turnovers. Jalen Bates and Shamir Mosley both got steals and layups. Demarius Pitts and Taj Toney also contributed buckets. Wiley forced 16 turnovers with eight steals.
Amayoa'ah Phillips tried to rally Virgin Islands, hitting a pair of shots and making three free throws after being fouled on a 3-pointer, pulling the Buccaneers within five. Pitts hit a 3-pointer, Mosley stole the ball and scored and later hit a 3-pointer to increase the margin to 13. The lead remained double digits the rest of the game. Tayvion Fisher hit a 3-pointer with 4:16 left that pushed the margin above 20 points. Wiley led 47-26 at halftime.
Virgin Islands struck first in the second half and cut the lead to 15 points. Shots made by Devon Barshow and Toney brought the lead back to 20 points. Being comfortably ahead, Joseph Flegler started emptying his bench.
Fisher led the Wildcats with a career-high 29 points - scoring 24 in the second half. He hit eight shots, including three 3-pointers and also contributed three rebounds. Mosley followed with 14 points and two steals. Raymond Guillory provided 11 points off the bench with five rebounds. Bates tallied eight points, three assists and three steals. Bobby Baker III posted seven points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Twelve Wildcats scored and had assists on 16 of their 32 field goals. On Defense, Cortez Collins blocked five shots and grabbed five rebounds.
Nico Thomas led the Buccaneers with 23 points on nine field goals and four 3-pointers. Phillips followed with 18 points and five rebounds. Chad Molloy and Jalil Langston also finished in double figures with 11 and 10 points.
The Wildcats will meet the HBCUAC regular season co-champion and No. 1 seed Stillman College in the quarterfinals at 8 p.m. Friday. The Tigers won an overtime thriller against the Wildcats on January 4 on the same court.
FRIDAY'S QUARTERFINAL GAMES
No. 3 Dillard University (16-11) vs. No. 6 Southern University at New Orleans (12-16), Noon Live Stats
No. 2 Tougaloo College (20-8) vs. No. 7 Wilberforce University (14-13), 4 p.m. Live Stats
No. 1 Stillman College (17-10) vs. No. 9 Wiley University (10-13), 8 p.m. Live Stats