December 16, 2023
ST. THOMAS, VI, – The Clinton College men's basketball team knocked off the Univ. of Virgin Islands 92-90 in a double overtime thriller at the Elridge Blake Center last Saturday morning in the USVI HBCU Classic.
Clinton ended up going 1-1 at the HBCU Classic as they fell to Claflin College 89-72 in the first round on Friday morning.
The Golden Bears got out to a huge 28-point lead in the first period against UVI and took a 49-28 lead into halftime. UVI then rallied and outscored the Bears 44-23 in the second half to force overtime tied at 72 apiece. A foul by Clinton on UVI game-tying three-point attempt sent them to the free throw line. UVI hit all three shots to tie the game and send it into overtime.
In the first overtime, the two teams battled as they traded baskets throughout the period tied at 8 apiece and 80-80 overall. UVI then had the upper hand as they led for most of the OT period, but two late free throws by Clinton tied the game at 80-all and sent the game into another overtime period.
In the second overtime, Clinton outscored UVI 12-10 as the Buccaneers' final shot attempt was missed, sealing the 92-90 victory for the Golden Bears.
For Clinton College, senior forward Isaiah Stone led the way with 19 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists and an impressive 5 blocks while senior guard Cam Shannon scored 16 points off the bench. Also scoring in double-figures in the win were senior guards RJ Bell and Tyler Hammond.
In the loss to Claflin, CU led 18-13 after the first 10 minutes before the Panthers took a 43-26 halftime lead. Clinton would then outscore CU 26-20 in the third quarter to get to within 11 points at 52-63 with 10 minutes to play. However, CU closed out the win with a 26-20 fourth quarter.
Clinton was led by Stone's 19 points and 12 rebounds while junior forward Jordan Maxwell scored 14 with 5 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Shannon then added 17 points off the bench while Bell had 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals.
The Golden Bears, now 6-5 overall, will next return to action this weekend to battle NAIA Mid-South foes Campebellsville Univ. (KY) on Saturday afternoon and Lindsey Wilson on Sunday afternoon in Kentucky.