Men's Basketball 1/6/2024 7:18:00 PM

BACK IN ACTION

OAKWOOD MEN'S BASKETBALL VISITS THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGIN ISLANDS TONIGHT IN FIRST GCAC GAME OF THE NEW YEAR

After almost a month off, Oakwood University men's basketball will be back in action tonight when it visits the University of the Virgin Islands in its first Gulf Coast Athletic Conference game of the new year. Tipoff is set for 7 at the Elridge Blake Sports and Fitness Center.

The Ambassadors enter the contest 1-11 overall and 1-3 in league play. Oakwood snapped its 11-game losing streak with an 83-73 win over Wiley College back on Dec. 9. Judeline Prophete (Miami, FL) and Nicholas Kennard (Nashville, TN) scored 15 points apiece in the victory. Jeray Randle, Jr. (Climax, GA) and Steve Aroh (Newark, NJ) combined for 17 points as Oakwood, which finished with a season-high 12 3-pointers, got a season-high 29 points from its bench.

While coach Simon Jacob was pleased with the offensive effort, he said it came as a result of the Ambassadors' defense.

"The team finally bought in to playing defense," Jacob said. "I have been telling them our defense will ignite our offense and the last game they bought in and we shot just under 50 percent from the field and over 50 percent from 3-point range.

"The thing that I will be interested in coming back from the break is will we have to start over again or will we pick up where we left off from our last game."

Prophete leads the Ambassadors in scoring, averaging 11 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He is among the league's best shot blockers with 37. Kennard is averaging 10.7 points per game.

Oakwood added a new player, Amonte Harmon, to the team over the break. The 6-foot-5, 178-pounder from Tallahassee, FL, should help the Ambassadors offensively, Jacob said.

"He's a shooter," he said. "If he gets hot, he can light it up."

The Buccaneers, mired in a five-game losing streak, are coming off of a 91-82 loss to Fisk University Thursday night that dropped them to 2-7 and 0-3 in league play.

Jalil Langston leads the team in scoring averaging 16.4 points per game, to go along with 5.1 rebounds and 2.4 steals.

Maurice Smith, Jr., is averaging 14.8 points and 8.3 rebounds, while William Steger is averaging 12.7 points and 6.3 assists, and Naythan Shaw-Clarke is averaging 12 points and 5.7 rebounds. Shaw-Clarke was a preseason first-team All-GCAC pick, while Langston was second-team selection.

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