An exhausted home team could not hold up to the pressure in the nightcap at the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center. The University of Puerto Rico, Utuado Eagles edged out the UVI Buccaneers, 74-67 Saturday evening in Organizacion Deportiva Interuniversitaria conference action.
The Bucs were held scoreless for the first three minutes of the contest. While this was happening the Eagles were breaking the Bucs press which allowed them easy baskets. This caused Bucs head coach Cyril Baptiste to call a time out. During the time out he changed the Bucs defense from a zone to a man on man. This move ignited the Bucs on a 6-0 run to cut down the Eagles' 11-point lead to 5 points.
The Bucs were held to under 30 percent in field goals in the first quarter. The Bucs struggled without one starter Kevin Abbott and the sixth man off the bench Dashell Freeman who were both suspended for a fight in the Bucs previous game.
In the second quarter, the Bucs not only continued to play a man to man defense, but they also began playing a more inside offensive game. The Bucs only attempted one 3-point shot in this quarter. The Eagles handled the Bucs defense well for the first five minutes of the quarter, but then it began to wear them down. The Eagles committed ten personal fouls that sent the Bucs to the free throw line 14 times converting seven of them. Meanwhile, the Eagles made of nine of 10 free throws off of five Bucs' fouls.
The halftime score was 36-34 in favor of the Eagles. Neither team had any bench points as only the starters scored.
In the third quarter, the Eagles press was effective for only the first two minutes. The Bucs broke down the Eagles press and managed to take their first lead, 43-41, with 6:19 remaining in the quarter. At this point both teams traded baskets and the lead.
The Eagles intensified the press to go on a 8-0 run that gave them a 55-47 lead with two minutes remaining. The Bucs' John St. Luce fouled out with 3:00 remaining in the game. The Bucs rallied back with a 6-0 run in the next 1:30 to cut into the lead.
The game got even more exciting in the fourth quarter. Both teams continued to trade baskets and the lead. The game was tied once again at 65. This time the Eagles soared to a seven-point lead to take control of the game.
The Bucs offense was led by St. Luce who had double-double with 20 points and 20 rebounds. His teammate Kwesi Howard also had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. For the Eagles Erick Delgado had 29 points while teammate Abimael Martes added 16 points. Harry Torres had a double-double for the Eagles with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
The Bucs conference record drops to 3-1 and their overall record to 6-4. The Eagles improve to 5-1 in the conference.
