TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The rematch was nothing like the original as the Stillman College men's basketball team handled the ninth-seeded Wiley University Wildcasts 72-54 to advance in the 2025 HBCU Athletic Conference Hope Credit Union Championship Tournament Friday night in Birthright Hall.

The teams first met on Jan. 4, where Stillman College won 98-97 in overtime ainast the Wildcats during the HBCUAC East/West Crossover. 

Rapid Recap:

The Tigers raced out to a 13-4 lead after Michael Taylor made a layup with 15:04 in the opening half. Stillman led by as much as 10 points before Wiley battled back to cut the lead to three points at 24-21 with 2:29 on the clock. 

However, the Tigers opened up a 10-point lead once more before settling on a 31-23 advantage at the half after Jalen Bates took a steal for a layup for the final seconds in the half for the Wildcats. 

Early in the second half, Stillman built a 13-point lead after a three-pointer from Joshua Price with 15:38 on the clock and pushed the score to 44-32. The lead steadily increased for the Tigers as the team got up by 20 points before settling on a 72-54 win to advance to the semifinals. 

Notes and Numbers:
-Michael Taylor led a quintet double-digit scorers for the Tigers with 17 points. 
-Brenden Lankford-Johnson scored 13, while Joshua Price, Jeremiah Miller, and D'Angelo Foster all posted 10 points. 
-Calvin Finch Jr. pulled down 12 rebounds with two blocks and two assists. 

Up Next:
The Stillman College Tigers suit up tomorrow at 5 p.m. against the Philander Smith Panthers. Stillman defeated Philander 67-65 during the HBCU East/West Crossover in Birthright on Jan. 6.