Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
HBCU Athletic Conference

West No. 1 Wiley, East No. 1 Oakwood roll into semifinals

Wiley advances to the semifinals for the second straight season.
Wiley advances to the semifinals for the second straight season.
February 27, 2026

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) West Division champion Wiley University and East Division champion Oakwood University successfully defended their rank with convincing double-digit victories in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Hope Credit Union HBCUAC Basketball Championship Thursday at Birthright Alumni Hall.

 

WEST No. 1 WILEY UNIVERSITY 70, EAST No. 4 STILLMAN COLLEGE 56
Boxscore | Broadcast

  • Wiley took the lead in the second quarter and put the game away in the fourth quarter.

  • Jessica Nerestant hit two shots and Kelechi Dike hit one to put Wiley ahead by six in the opening minutes of the second quarter. 

  • In the final minute of the quarter, Keimora Banks and Mia Thomas hit jump shots to give Wiley a 32-22 halftime lead.

  • Stillman made a surge in the last three minutes of the third quarter. 

  • Jordan Harris made a layup. A'Nya Banks and Jaida Minter hit 3-pointers to trim the margin to one.

  • Dike stopped the run with a jumper. She hit a jumper later in the quarter off a steal by Jessica Nerestant to increase the lead to seven.

  • Alexis Foster hit a 3-pointer and layup to push Wiley's lead to 13 with 5:30 left in the game.

  • Dike led all scorers with 18 points and added seven rebounds.

  • Nerestant recorded her seventh double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

  • Foster tallied 14 points and four rebounds

  • Minter led Stillman with 14 points and added seven rebounds.

  • Jordan Harris followed with 12 points and six rebounds

  • Mya Jones led the Lady Tigers with 10 rebounds to go along with seven points

  • Stillman finishes the season 12-12

  • Wiley will take on the winner between East No. 2 seed Talladega College and West No. 3 Philander Smith in the semifinals at 2 p.m. Saturday.

 

EAST No. 1 OAKWOOD 80, WEST No. 5 WILBERFORCE 66
Boxscore | Broadcast

  • Oakwood took the lead in the second quarter and rolled to their postseason victory in program history.

  • Wilberforce jumped out to a 12-4 lead. Lania Early and Makyla Tucker hit 3-pointers. Asia Cochran and Jada Hairston hit jump shots

  •  Lydia Josiah sparked the Lady Ambassadors with a 3-pointer to cut the margin to six with 3:16 left. 

  • She hit a second three with 2:29 left to cut the margin to one. Oakwood trailed by two entering the second quarter.

  • Oakwood outscored Wilberforce 21-9 in the second quarter. 

  • Trenisha Adams hit two 3-pointers with 3:31 left in the second to give Oakwood a 32-26 lead.

  • A steal by Saniya Keys led to a layup by Josiah, increasing the lead to eight. 

  • Kamaria Murray hit a 3-pointer to put Oakwood ahead 40-30 at halftime.

  • Tucker hit two shots early in the third to cut the margin to seven.

  • Adams made a layup. Murray got a steal and a layup to increase the margin to 15.

  • A 3-pointer by Murray with 3:50 left gave Oakwood a 17-point lead.

  • Wilberforce trailed by 15 the rest of the quarter. 

  • Murray led the team with 21 points and six assists.

  • Adams followed with 19 points and six rebounds.

  • Keys led the team with nine rebounds and added seven points

  • Hairston recorded a double-double with 14 points and 17 rebounds

  • Tucker hit four 3-pointers to finish with 14 points.

  • Wilberforce finishes their season 8-13.

  • Oakwood will advance to the semifinals and play the winner of West No. 2 Paul Quinn College and East No. 3 Rust College at 6 p.m. Saturday.

 

WEDNESDAY'S SECOND ROUND GAMES

EAST No. 5 WILBERFORCE 68, WEST No. 4 TOUGALOO 56
Boxscore | Broadcast

  • Wilberforce used a strong defensive effort to pull away in the third quarter to grab its first postseason victory since 2020.

  • Makaia Smith and Dreann Pryce got steals and layups. 

  • Asia Cochran stole the ball and converted at the free throw line to increase Wilberforce's lead to 13.

  • Cochran increased the margin to 16 with a layup-and-one

  • Tougaloo made a rally in the fourth.

  • It trailed by 15 with seven minutes remaining. Brayland Ferguson hit three shots. Shalayne Morgan scored five points to pull the Lady Bulldogs within three.

  • Jada Hairston hit a layup and Makyla Tucker made a 3-pointer to increase the margin to nine.

  • Tucker lead Wilberforce with 15 points on four 3-pointers.

  • Constance Chaplin recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds

  • Hairston led the team defensively with 14 rebounds and seven blocks

  • Tougaloo's Morgan led all scorers with 22 points

  • Ferguson recorded a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds

  • Makaila Brown led all rebounders with 21, which is two shy of the conference record

  • Tougaloo finishes the season 9-14

 

EAST No. 3 RUST 79, WEST No. 6 HUSTON-TILLOTSON 49
Boxscore | Broadcast

  • Rust College advanced with a dominating victory

  • The Lady Bearcats pulled away in the third quarter

  • Shots made by Unique Miller and Talyia Cawthon sparked a 12-point run which stretched the lead to 18.

  • Cawthon led Rust with 22 points, six rebounds and four assists

  • Patsy Johnson provided 17 points, six steals, five assists and five rebounds.

  • Wilashia Burleson led Huston-Tillotson with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

  • The Rams finish the season 8-14.

  • Rust advances to the quarterfinals and will face West No. 2 Paul Quinn College at 4 p.m. Friday.

 

WEST No. 3 PHILANDER SMITH 64, WEST No. 7 SUNO 47 | Box Score | Broadcast

  • Philander Smith's Ashlyn Kimble was one of three players on the team in double figures; she scored an efficient 13 points (6-10 FG) grabbed 5 rebounds, dished out 4 assists, and stole the ball 3 times

  • Hannah Cornelius paced SUNO on a tough shooting night, scoring an efficient 7 points (3-5 FG, 1-1 FT) while snagging a game-high 12 rebounds; she was also proficient on the defensive end, blocking 2 shots and getting 3 steals

  • An efficient first quarter saw SUNO take a 10-point lead after the first ten minutes, but a combination of Philander Smith's improved shot-making and defensive efforts allowed them back into the game before the end of the half; trends from that second quarter continued in the third and fourth, and Philander Smith would end up walking out with a confident victory

  • Philander Smith will advance to play East No. 2 Talladega in the quarterfinals at noon on Friday

  • SUNO will end their year 9-14

 

FRIDAY'S QUARTERFINALS

12:00 pm Game 19: Women's E2 (Talladega) vs. W3 (Philander Smith) | Live Stats | Broadcast

4:00 pm Game 21: Women's W2 (Paul Quinn) vs. E3 (Rust College) | Live Stats | Broadcast

 

About the 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), Huston-Tillotson University (TX), Oakwood University (AL), Paul Quinn College (TX), 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 soccer, 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.