Men's Basketball hosts Virgin Islands in pivotal HBCUAC game

The Wiley University men's basketball team will play in front of its fans at Alumni Gymnasium for the first time in 2025 as it takes on the University of the Virgin Islands in a Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) game that will impact the conference standings at 3 p.m. Saturday.

The game will stream on the Wiley University Channel on the Urban Edge Network - which fans can view online or download the free application to their mobile and streaming devices. Live statistics will also be available. The link is listed on the men's basketball schedule on wileyathletics.com.

The Wildcats (7-8, 5-6 HBCUAC) play their first home game since November 16. They went 4-5 on their road swing which was capped with an overtime loss against Philander Smith University on Monday. With key players like Demarius Pitts leading the team scoring at 15.2 points per game and Jalen Bates topping the conference with an impressive 2.5 steals per game, Wiley seems well-prepared. Bates' defensive prowess has been notable, as evidenced by his recent achievement of four steals in Monday's game against Philander Smith. Alongside him, Shamir Mosley continues to rack up double-digit scoring games off the bench, adding crucial depth to the team. He shared the team lead with Pitts, scoring 15 points against Philander Smith on Monday.

The Buccaneers bring their own threats, including standout guard Amayoa'ah Phillips, who has amassed Newcomer of the Week titles twice, thanks to an average of 20.7 points per game, making him the second-highest scorer in the conference. The Buccaneers' guard Jalil Langston also poses a significant challenge with his 12.5 points and team-high 5.3 rebounds per game.

Entering the game, the Wildcats and Buccaneers are ranked eighth and ninth in the conference standings, respectively. Both teams are looking to make a final push before next month's HBCUAC Championship in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

The teams met for the first time last season. Wiley celebrated a 62-57 victory on the road, albeit with a subsequent home forfeiture due to team discipline issues.

During Saturday's home game, Wiley will show appreciation to the various Greek organizations on campus, who are avid supporters of the program. The Wildcats hope their home crowd can give them a much needed boost as they look for a strong finish to the second half of HBCUAC play.

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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