Men's Basketball battles Huston-Tillotson, Jarvis Christian at 2024 HBCU Live Xperience Classic
On Friday, the Wiley University men's basketball team will look to improve their early-season record as they face the Huston-Tillotson University Rams in its opener of the 2024 Austin Area Urban League HBCU Live Xperience Classic at 8 p.m. Friday in the Austin Convention Center.
The Wildcats (0-2) will also renew the Highway 80 rivalry against Jarvis Christian University at 2 p.m. Saturday. For the second straight season the classic will pit the HBCU Athletic Conference against the Red River Athletic Conference. All the games will stream on HBCU-Plus which can be viewed online or users can download the free app on their mobile devices or Smart TVs.
Wiley aims to secure their first win and build momentum as they take on the Rams, who are making their season debut and coming off an 8-20 season. They are entering their first season under head coach John A. Smith.
Historically, Wiley has had the upper hand in this matchup, holding 32 wins out of 50 games against Huston-Tillotson since 1948, including a significant 72-57 victory in their last meeting on January 29, 2022. The schools were members of the Red River Athletic Conference from 1998 until Wiley departed following the 2021-22 season.
Highlight players such as Tayvion Fisher, who leads the HBCU Athletic Conference with an average of 23.5 points per game, alongside Demarius Pitts, who is averaging 18.5 points per game, and Jalen Bates - are expected to play crucial roles in steering the Wildcats towards victory. The special event at the Austin Area Urban League not only highlights the competition between HBCU and Red River Athletic Conference teams but also serves as a platform that brings added attention to this historic matchup.
Jarvis Christian (0-2) fell to Ottawa University (Kan.) and University of North Texas at Dallas. Erin Wright leads the Bulldogs with 16 points per game. George Nwogu is the top rebounder with seven per game. This is the second consecutive season the Wildcats and Bulldogs have met in the Austin Area Urban League Classic. Wiley won 78-73. It leads the series against the Bulldogs 28-13.
2024 Austin Area Urban League HBCU Live Xperience Classic
FRIDAY
6 p.m. Paul Quinn College vs. Philander Smith University
8 p.m. Wiley University vs. Huston-TIllotson University
SATURDAY
2 p.m. Jarvis Christian University vs. Wiley University
4 p.m. Huston-Tillotson University vs. Wiley University (women)
6 p.m. Huston-Tillotson University vs. Philander Smith University
8 p.m. Paul Quinn College vs. Langston University
For more coverage on the Wildcats visit https://wileyathletics.com/sports/mbkb/index
About Wiley University Athletics
Wiley University sponsors 12 varsity sports, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's outdoor track and field and baseball. It competes in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) and the Continental Athletic Conference for men's and women's soccer.
FOLLOW THE WILDCATS
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HBCU+: Wiley University