Johnson, Hill score 20 apiece as Voorhees falls to Philander Smith in HBCU tournament

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Despite a strong offensive showing from Jermarquis Johnson and Rydarius Hill, the Voorhees University Tigers came up short in HBCU Athletic Conference Tournament Game 2, falling 80-64 to Philander Smith on Friday evening at 3601 Stillman Blvd. Philander Smith seized control with a decisive first-half surge and then put the game away at the free-throw line in the closing minutes.

The Tigers went into halftime trailing 45-37 after a tightly contested opening stretch turned in Philander Smith’s favor late in the first quarter. Hill’s layup knotted the score at 35-35 with just over three minutes left in the period, but Philander Smith closed on a key 10-2 run, capped by two free throws from Raymond Reece at the buzzer. That sequence shifted the momentum and proved to be the turning point, as Voorhees never drew closer the rest of the way.

Philander Smith built on that lead coming out of the break, using an early burst to stretch the margin into double digits for good. A dunk by Joshua Wallace pushed the advantage to 57-46 with 14:28 remaining, and less than a minute later Reece finished a fast-break dunk to make it 61-46. The Tigers continued to battle, but Philander Smith eventually extended its largest lead to 19 points in the second quarter and maintained control from there.

Johnson and Hill provided much of the offensive spark for Voorhees. Johnson was highly efficient, scoring 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field and 6-of-7 at the foul line while adding five rebounds. Hill matched him with 20 points of his own, also pulling down five rebounds and impacting the game defensively with three blocks and four steals. Their production helped the Tigers stay within striking distance through much of the night.

As a team, the Tigers shot 40.7 percent from the floor (24-for-59) and were aggressive enough to earn 24 free-throw attempts, converting 16 (66.7 percent). Voorhees also battled on the glass, finishing with 38 rebounds, including 12 on the offensive end. Defensively, the Tigers forced 15 turnovers, came up with eight steals and blocked six shots, but they were unable to fully capitalize on those extra possessions.

The primary separation came from the perimeter and the foul line. Philander Smith went 7-for-16 from 3-point range while Voorhees was held without a 3-pointer (0-for-7). At the stripe, Philander Smith converted 27 of 35 free throws, steadily adding to its cushion, particularly in the final minutes when Voorhees was forced to extend the game. Reece led all players with 24 points and 19 rebounds for Philander Smith, while Wallace added 15 points and I’Ryan Allen chipped in 10 points, including three 3-pointers.

Voorhees will look to build on the individual performances of Johnson and Hill and the team’s defensive activity as it continues through postseason play. The Tigers’ effort on the boards and at the rim showed positives to carry forward, even as the tournament matchup in Tuscaloosa ended with Philander Smith advancing.