LEXINGTON, Va. - Sophomore forward Chad Mohn scored 16 points and freshman guard K.J. Garland added 13 points to lead UNC Asheville over VMI, 59-51, Wednesday night in Big South basketball action at Cameron Hall.
UNCA (6-17, 4-8) snapped a two-game losing streak and prevailed on the road for only the second time this season while sweeping the regular season series between the schools. The Bulldogs knocked off VMI, 61-48, on Jan. 3 in Asheville, N.C.
UNC Asheville forced VMI into 22 turnovers - the ninth time this season the Keydets have committed 20 or more turnovers in a game.
Leading 27-22 at halftime, UNCA built as much as a 15-point cushion (47-35) when Steven Rush stroked a 3-pointer from the right wing with 9:39 left. But the Keydets chipped away at the deficit, using a 16-5 run over the next nine minutes to cut the margin to four. Freshman guard Fred Robinson's 3-pointer from the right wing pulled the Keydets within 55-51 with :37 left in regulation.
But the Bulldogs, who nailed 18 of 20 free throws in their January win over the Keydets in Asheville, showed their marksmanship again by hitting five of six from the stripe over the last :33 of the game. UNCA finished the game 15 of 18 from the free throw line for 83.3%.
"I thought both teams played great defense," said UNCA head coach Eddie Biedenbach."The difference in the game was turnovers. They had 22 and we had 12. That's 10 more possessions. That was the key."
VMI dropped its third straight game and fell to 5-17, 3-8 in the Big South.
Freshman forward Matt Murrer paced the Keydets with 15 points and senior forward Radee Skipworth added 12 points and seven rebounds, but was limited to four of 14 shooting from the field
VMI senior guard Richard Little, who entered the game leading the Big South in assists with nearly six per contest, dished out a game-high eight assists, but turned the ball over nine times. Junior center Tim Allmond scored 10 points on 3 for 4 shooting and converted all four free throws to reach double figures for the first time since a 12-point outing against St. Francis on December 21.
Both teams shot under 40% for the game. UNCA was 20 of 51 from the floor (39.2%) while the Keydets converted 17 of 43 shots for 39.5%.
"Turnovers was the name of the game," said VMI coach Bart Bellairs. "We were tired and emotionally spent following the JMU game (Monday). When you miss chippies and passes - Rich (Little) probably had one of the worst games of his career. The reason he did is that he was just tired. He's gives you everything, every minute. He never saves himself. I'll go to war with Richard Little all the time. He wasn't the only one tonight. Emotionally as a team, we were just really out of it. Tonight when kept looking for a lift, we would make a little run, then make a mistake."
VMI's only lead game on the first basket of the ballgame when Sam Milenik layed in a shot 18 seconds into the game. The Bulldogs countered with an 11-0 run over next four minutes, capitalizing on three VMI turnovers during the stretch. VMI rallied with seven straight points, five by Murrer, to pull within 11-9 with 13:44 left in the opening half, but the Bulldogs never relinquished the lead the rest of the frame and led by five points at the break.
Sophomore guard Omar Collington added 10 points for UNCA, including 2 of 3 shots beyond the arc. Garland dished out seven assists to lead the Bulldogs.
VMI begins a two-game road swing through South Carolina Saturday when it faces Coastal Carolina at 7:00 p.m. in Conway, S.C. UNC Asheville travels to High Point Saturday for a 4:00 p.m. tip.
