No. 7 Wilberforce stuns No. 2 Tougaloo, No. 1 Stillman, No. 3 Dillard advance to Semifinals
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The No. 7 seed Wilberforce University overcame a double-digit deficit and took the lead in the final minute to oust No. 2 Tougaloo College. The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) co-regular season champion and No. 1 seed Stillman College and No. 3 Dillard University advance to the semifinals of the HBCUAC 2025 Hope Credit Union Basketball Championship Friday at Birthright Alumni Hall.
No. 7 WILBERFORCE UNIVERSITY 82, No. 2 TOUGALOO COLLEGE 77
Boxscore
In a thrilling match-up at the HBCU Athletic Conference 2025 Hope Credit Union Basketball Championship quarterfinal on Friday, the No. 7 seed Wilberforce University overcame a double-digit deficit and achieved a stunning 82-77 victory over No. 2 seed Tougaloo College at Birthright Alumni Hall.
Tougaloo (20-9) controlled the first half, it scored the first eight points. Wilberforce responded with seven-point run. The Bulldogs from Tougaloo locked down defensively, and it didn't allow them to make a field goal for three minutes. Shots made by Andre' Brunt, JaMarcus Powell and Gemari Marshall gave Tougaloo a double digit lead. A layup and-one by Antonio Patterson increased the margin to 18 with 5:23 left in the first half.
Wilberforce rallied in the last minutes of the first half. Eduardo Diaz hit three shots, including a 3-pointer. Jumpers by Jamir Hymes and RJ Pettis pulled the Bulldogs within 10. It trailed 44-32 at halftime.
Tougaloo maintained it's double-digit lead for the first 10 minutes of the second half. Hymes hit a layup and Cali Davis sank a three-pointer to trim the lead to 64-61 with 7:58 remaining. Diaz hit a three with 3:43 left to cut the lead to one. Less than a minute later he hit a jumper and-one to give Wilberforce its first lead. An and-one by Tyler Hudson gave Tougaloo a 75-74 lead with 1:04 left.
Diaz netted a critical three-pointer with 56 seconds left that put Wilberforce ahead 77-75. Olverson got a block and Preston Steele stole the ball. He was fouled and made one of two free throws. Steele stole the ball and passed to Hymes, who dished to Olverson for a dunk to give Wilberforce a five-point lead. Tougaloo pulled within three but was unable to get the tying shot.
Diaz led Wilberforce with 23 points - shooting 7-for-10, including 3-for-5 from 3-point territory. Hymes recorded a double-double with 20 points and 11 assists. Olverson also notched a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Davis finished in double figures with 13.
Patterson led Tougaloo with 20 points. Brunt followed with 18 points, three rebounds and two assists. Hudson tallied 17 points, five rebounds and four assists. Powell led the team with eight rebounds and contributed 10 points.
Wilberforce advances to the semifinals where they will face the No. 3 seed Dillard University at 7 p.m. Saturday. The Bleu Devils beat the Bulldogs 83-76 at Birthright Alumni Hall on January 4.
No. 3 DILLARD UNIVERSITY 63, No. 6 SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AT NEW ORLEANS 60
In a game that featured multiple momentum shifts, the No. 3 seed Dillard University held off No. 6 Southern University at New Orleans 63-60 in the HBCUAC 2025 Hope Credit Union Basketball Championship quarterfinals Thursday at Birthright Alumni Hall.
The underdog Knights took a 17-8 lead in the first half with two layup by Tony White and one by Jamal Gibson. Dillard forced SUNO into three turnovers and Elijahjuan Burke hit two 3-pointers which pulled the Bleu Devils within one with 4:14 left in the first half. A three by Tory Cargo gave Dillard a 31-30 lead. Donte Briggs made a layup and Gibson slammed an offensive putback to give the lead back to the Knights. Ben Fort made a layup and-one and Shane Davis scored an offensive putback as time expired to give Dillard a 37-36 halftime lead.
It maintained control at the start of the second half. Armond Williams dunked an offensive rebound and tipped in another. Justin Warren hit a jumper and Phillips stole the ball and laid it in to increase the margin to seven. The Bleu Devils led by as many as 11 with baskets by Williams and Cargo.
The Knights rallied with three shots made by Gibson and one by Tyon Thompson which trimmed the margin to two with 8:39 remaining. White tied the game at 59, splitting a pair of free throws with 3:31 remaining. Phillips gave the lead back to Dillard at the foul line. Gibson was fouled attempting a layup and made one of two free throws to cut the margin to one. Southern University at New Orleans had multiple chances to tie or take the lead but missed its last three shots and turned it over once.
Williams led Dillard with 15 points adding seven rebounds. Cargo followed with 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Fort provided 10 points and six rebounds off the bench. Khalif Allim led the team with 10 rebounds and 3 blocks. Phillips recorded four steals.
Gibson led all players with 24 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks. White followed with a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
No. 1 STILLMAN COLLEGE 72, No. 9 WILEY UNIVERSITY 54
Boxscore
Playing on its own court, the co-regular season champion and No. 1 seed Stillman College fed off the energy of its fans and atmosphere as it shut down No. 9 Wiley University 72-54 in the HBCUAC 2025 Hope Credit Union Basketball Championship Quarterfinals Thursday.
Though it hadn't played in over a week, the Tigers did not miss a beat and took a 13-4 lead in the first five minutes of the game. The Wildcats answered as Devon Barshow hit a jumper, Demarius Pitts made two shots and Cortez Collins made a layup off a pass from Jalen Bates, pulling the Wildcats within two. A dunk by D'Angelo Foster on an offensive putback started an 11-1 run for the Tigers. Brenden Lankford-Johnson hit a layup and 3-pointer. Foster stole the ball and laid it in and later hit a jumper to give Stillman a double-digit lead. It held a 31-23 advantage at halftime.
Three-pointers by Lankford Johnson and Joshua Price snuffed out any hope of a second half comeback by the Wildcats, extending the lead to 13 points in the first five minutes. Wiley didn't get closer than eight. Stillman outshot the Wildcats 46.4 to 42.1 percent and hit eight 3-pointers to two for Wiley.
Five Tigers scored in double figures led by Michael Taylor's 17. He also added five rebounds and five assists. Lankford-Johnson followed with 13 points, contributing three rebounds and two assists. Jeremiah Miller provided 10 points, four rebounds and three assists off the bench. Price and Foster each scored 10. Calvin Finch Jr. led the team with 12 rebounds and two blocks.
Shamir Mosley and Taj Toney led the Wildcats with 10 points apiece. Raymond Guillory and Pitts followed with eight points. Bates led the team with six rebounds and four assists.
The Tigers will face No. 4 Philander Smith University in the semifinals at 5 p.m. Stillman beat the Panthers 67-65 in overtime on January 6.
SATURDAY'S SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Stillman College (18-10) vs. No. 5 Philander Smith University (21-8), 5 p.m. Live Stats
No. 3 Dillard University (17-11) vs. No. 7 Wilberforce University (15-13), 7 p.m. Live Stats
-HBCUAC-
About HBCU Athletic Conference
The HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) is the only HBCU conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The HBCUAC membership includes Dillard University (LA), Fisk University (TN), Oakwood University (AL), Philander Smith University (AR), Rust College (MS), Southern University at New Orleans (LA), Stillman College (AL), Talladega College (AL), Tougaloo College (MS), University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas), Voorhees University (SC), Wilberforce University (OH), and Wiley University (TX). HBCUAC sponsors championships in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's track and field, women's volleyball, softball, and baseball. In 2022, the HBCUAC secured the largest media rights deal in conference and NAIA history, signing a multimillion-dollar deal with Urban Edge Network. On July 1, 2024, the conference rebranded from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) to the HBCU Athletic Conference, marking a new era for the conference that embodies the makeup of its membership. For more information, visit hbcuac.org.