Day One Complete at 2024 Hope Credit Union Men's & Women's Basketball Championship
Tuscaloosa, AL- From February 28 - March 3, fans will gather at Birthright Alumni Hall Gymnasium on the campus of Stillman College for the 2024 Hope Credit Union Men's and Women's Basketball Championship Tournament. Over five days, 20 teams will compete in 18 games, for the opportunity to take a trophy home.
Here's the rundown of Day One…
#7 Wiley University 65, #10 SUNO 45 | BOX SCORE
The 7th-seeded Wiley University Wildcat Women kicked off the opening round with a dominating performance against the enduring six of #10 Southern University of New Orleans Knights in a final score of 65-45. Cailan Hale put up 14 points, six rebounds, one assist, and one block for the Wildcats. Jashyree Bell clapped back with 14 points of her own, nine rebounds, and two steals.
#7 SUNO 96, #10 Oakwood 87 | BOX SCORE
The #10 Oakwood University Ambassadors gave a valiant effort. Still, they did not have enough in the tank to match the athletic prowess of Jamal Gibson and the #7 Knights of Southern University of New Orleans with a final score of 96-87. He led all players with 33 points to go along with 13 rebounds, two blocks, one assist, and one steal. Judelin Propheté came to work for the Ambassadors and finished with 22 points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals, and three blocks.
#8 Tougaloo 97, #9 Virgin Islands 45 | BOX SCORE
The Tougaloo Lady Bulldogs brought a complete team effort for the third matchup defeat of the Virgin Islands Lady Buccaneers, 97-45. The Lady Bulldogs capped off the win with five players double-figure scoring. Shawanda Gray knocked down 20 points as Rodreckia Parker conducted the court giving out 12 assists to go along with 15 points. Ashukamayah Phillips took control for the Lady Bucs to find the hoop for 15 points, adding four rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
#9 Dillard 66, #8 Virgin Islands 61 | BOX SCORE
Our final matchup of the night brought the most climactic moment as the 9th-seeded Dillard University Bleu Devils took down the 8th-seeded Buccaneers from the University of the Virgin Islands, 66-61. The Bleu Devils came full force tonight as Devin Lewis notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, finding support from teammates Tory Cargo and Armond Williams chipping in 13 points each. Maurice Smith Jr. responded for the Bucs with a double-double of his own, scoring 17 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.
Thursday Matchups
Women's Quarterfinal- 1 p.m.
No. 2 Philander Smith vs. No. 7 Wiley
Men's Quarterfinal- 3 p.m.
No. 2 Philander Smith vs. No. 7 SUNO
GCAC Regular Season Awards Ceremony will be held immediately following the 3 p.m. game.
Women's Quarterfinal- 6 p.m.
No. 8 Tougaloo vs. No. 1 Rust
Men's Quarterfinal- 8 p.m.
No. 9 Dillard vs. No. 1 Tougaloo
A Look Ahead
Thursday kicks off with the GCAC Welcome Breakfast for players and coaches with a press conference to make several special announcements regarding the next era for the league. Fans can watch the event live on HBCU+ by downloading the mobile app, installing the app on any streaming TV device (Roku, Firestick, etc), or online at watch.hbcu-plus.com.
The HBCU Admission Fair, in conjunction with Stillman's TigerFest, kicks off at 11 a.m. at the Hay Center. Students or groups can register at bit.ly/gcacadmissions.
The day continues with the ESports Bus and NBA2K competition from 12-2 p.m. The bus will be parked at Birthright Alumni Hall, so if you're a gamer, stop by!
