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Cold Shooting Hampers Keydets in 49-32 Hoops Loss to Coastal Carolina

LEXINGTON, Va. - E.J. Gallup scored 13 points and Pele Palaway and Alvin Green added nine points each to lead Coastal Carolina over VMI, 49-32, Monday night at Cameron Hall.

The Chanticleers, playing tough defense throughout the low scoring affair, outrebounded VMI on the boards, 49-32, and limited the Keydets to a season-low 23% from the field. The 32 points were the lowest scored by a VMI team since 1953 when school modern records were first kept.

The Keydets (3-14, 1-6), ravaged by injuries this season, employed a new line-up and new strategy to try to shake a four-game losing streak, but the experiment failed to produce desired results for the home team. Freshman Matt Murrer was inserted into the starting lineup at shooting guard and center Tim Allmond returned to the starting center slot he occupied before being sidelined with a sprained ankle in early January. It was the seventh different starting line-up employed by the Keydets this year. VMI also exchanged its up-tempo style of play for a more deliberate pace.

But the Chanticleers, leading by a 23-15 count at the break, limited the Keydets to just 15.8% (3-19) shooting in the second half, and built the lead to as much as 20 points (42-22) when Pele Paelay connected on two free throws with 8:10 remaining. The Keydets could not come any closer than a 16-point deficit the rest of the way.

Coastal Carolina never trailed in the contest. The Chants (10-9, 5-3) opened up an early 9-4 lead on a Mihai Raducanu layup, but VMI rallied to tie the score at 11-11 on a Radee Skipworth dunk with 12:42 left. CCU's Alvin Green responded 50 seconds later with a layup to put the Chanticleers up for good.

The Chanticleers used an 11-0 run second half run to break the game open. The Keydets went scoreless for over seven minutes and without a field goal for nearly 10 minutes before Fred Robinson canned a three-pointer at the 4:52 mark.

The 81 points by both teams were the fewest in Cameron Hall's 22-year history -lower than the 91 combined points in a 47-44 Davidson win over VMI on February 13, 1984. The 10 field goals by the Keydets Monday night were the fewest at Cameron Hall since 15 were netted by VMI in the facility's first game against Virginia on Dec. 5, 1981. The 32 points fell short of the previous low of 33 points set in a 41-33 loss at James Madison on November 28, 1982.

Coastal Carolina has won four of its last six games and plays Birmingham-Southern Saturday night in Conway, S.C. at 7:00 p.m. VMI returns to action Wednesday night against Charleston Southern at Camron Hall at 7:00 p.m.
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