LEXINGTON, Va.- VMI closed out its two-game exhibition schedule with another strong offensive performance Monday night, defeating cross-town neighbor Washington & Lee, 120-78, Monday night at Cameron Hall.
Senior guard Fred Robinson (Alexandria, Va.) led the Keydets with 26 points and gunned in six of nine three-point shots to spark the Keydets. VMI also had double figures scoring efforts from Chavis Holmes (21), Travis Holmes (17), Reggie Williams (14), and Dusty Pflugner (10).
Femi Kusimo led the Generals with 20 points and Ben Heller added 12 points.
The Keydets used a 22-0 run midway in the first half to break the game open.
"I thought we didn't come out and play with as much energy early on as we did the other night (Emory & Henry exhibition)," said VMI head coach Duggar Baucom. "But I was pleased we got Matt Murrer back into the mix and some guys' shots didn't fall down like they normally do, but I was pleased overall."
VMI scored the first six points of the game and built a 13-8 lead before going on a 9-2 run to take a 22-10 advantage on a Pflugner 3-pointer with 12:55 left in the half. W&L rallied with nine straight points to cut the deficit to 22-19 on Heller's two free throws with 11:26 left.
VMI led 28-22 before reeling off 22 unanswered points over the next four minutes. Pflugner capped the run with another trey at 4:46 mark to put the Keydets ahead, 50-23.
Robinson, who had 17 of his 26 points in the first half, would follow 30 seconds later by raining in the first of a string of three straight 3-point bombs. Travis Holmes punctuated the end of the half by dropping in a 44-foot running jumper from mid-court as the buzzer sounded with VMI ahead, 70-33.
"Fred Robinson shot it great in the preseason and he kind of showed tonight going 6 of 10 (three's)- we'll take that every night," said Baucom.
W&L cut the deficit to 29 points, 75-46, following a jumper by Chris Halkitis with 16:52 left, but that would be as close as the Generals would get the rest of the night.
VMI shot 46.4% from the floor for the game, but drained 20 of 49 beyond the arc. The Keydets also forced W&L into 39 turnovers and registered 26 steals while converting the miscues into 43 points. The Keydets also hit 22 of 27 from the line for 81.5%.
The Generals held the advantage on the boards, 47-42.
"I was pleased with the offensive rebounding of Travis Holmes and Carl Josey," said Baucom. "And I thought Adam Lonon had a great game -eight points, five assists, and one turnover is special, I'm pleased with that."
VMI opens the season Friday night in the Sportstime Ohio BCA Classic against Ohio State, a team that has been picked in the top five in several national preseason polls. Tipoff from the Value City Arena in Columbus Ohio will be 8:00 p.m.
