The University of the Virgin Islands Buccaneers defeated Florida National University 80-63 in a wire-to-wire victory on day one of the Keiser Thanksgiving Classic at Massimino Court in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The Buccaneers maintained control throughout the game, starting strong with a 15-4 lead and extended their advantage to 20 points in the first half, peaking at 38-18. Despite a 10-2 run by Florida National that reduced the deficit to 12 points, UVI led 40-28 at halftime.
Senior forward Eliyah Stevens energized the Buccaneers’ offense, contributing 10 points in just eight minutes off the bench in the first half.
Graduate forward Brandon Rasmussen anchored the defense, recording four steals that were translated into points for UVI.
“It was a solid team win,” remarked head coach Kevin Sheppard. “The team was eager for this victory after recent close losses. We dominated the first half, but we need to improve on closing out halves and keeping the pressure on our opponents when we are up by a lot. Our opponent fought back in the second half, but we made the necessary adjustments to pull away again.”
In the second half, Florida National mounted a comeback with a 13-3 run, narrowing the gap to just two points. However, the Buccaneers responded with a 7-0 run, regaining control and gradually widening the lead. UVI maintained its composure and ultimately secured a decisive victory.
Five Buccaneers achieved double-digit scoring on the night. Senior guard Khari Person, along with Stevens and Rasmussen, each contributed 14 points. Juniors Sebastian Dokum and Devin Binyard added 16 and 10 points, respectively.
Junior point guard Chad Molloy got his teammates involved, tying his season high of seven assists.
As a team, the Buccaneers shot an astounding 50% from the field and 41.2% from behind the arc.
The Buccaneers are set to return to action on Nov. 25 against the host team, Keiser University, currently ranked 25th in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in the latest college basketball rankings.
“It’s always a challenging matchup when facing a ranked team, but we are committed to giving it our best effort. We must play our brand of basketball to achieve the results we desire. This will certainly not be an easy task.”
