WILLIAMSBURG, Va.- VMI surged to an 85-79 lead with just under three minutes remaining, but did not score again as Jacksonville State scored the final eight points of the contest to score an 87-85 victory in the consolation game of the William & Mary Tip-Off Classic on Saturday night.

Reggie Williams led four double-figures scorers for the Keydets (3-7), as he posted 22 points and seven rebounds in the loss. He was joined by an 18-point performance by Chavis Holmes, 16 points from Travis Holmes and a double-double effort from Willie Bell, doing so with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Gamecocks (2-4) were led by Courtney Bradley's 30 points and 17 rebounds, while Erik Adams' 16 points and Will Ginn's 15 points represented the team's double-digit scorers.

Dorien Brown's follow lay-up of a Ginn miss with :18 left proved to be the difference maker and the Gamecocks defense produced two stops on VMI's final possessions down the floor to hold on for the win. After what would prove to be his game-winning basket, Brown blocked Chavis Holmes' layup attempt at the :05 mark, and Travis Holmes' desperation three attempt from 38-feet fell off the backboard as the buzzer sounded.

The JSU rally spoiled a second half that saw the Keydets fight with the tenacity that had been absent the previous night in a tourney loss to Cornell. Trailing 58-55 at halftime, the Keydets hit just two of their first 16 shots from the floor, but stayed close by forcing Jackson into costly turnovers and rebounding better on both ends of the floor. VMI trailed 63-55 at the 16:50 mark following a Brown dunk, but the Keydets chipped away with a 13-4 run over the next 6:49 and took a 68-67 lead on a Chavis Holmes 3-pointer at the midway point of the half.

"Tonight I thought we had the heart and courage. That was a lot better than last night," said VMI head coach Duggar Baucom. "But you've got to make plays, they got some big offensive rebounds. There are balls that you just have to get."

The Keydets lead grew to as much as seven points (80-73) with 6:11 left following a Travis Holmes free throw, but VMI went without a field goal in the last 5:09 of regulation- missing its final eight shots from the floor. A 14-5 Jacksonville run over the last 6:11 of regulation sent the Keydets to their fifth straight road loss.

The Gamecocks opened the game with a 10-point lead at the 11:28 mark, only to see VMI slice the deficit to two (34-32) on a Travis Holmes layup. JSU pushed the lead back to 11 with 7:23 left, and witnessed a VMI charge back again with a 12-4 spurt over the final 3:12 of the half at make it a 58-55 game at intermission.

JSU shot 56.4% in the first half, but cooled to 41.7% in the second half. The Gamecocks held a 48-42 advantage on the boards, but the Keydets grabbed 20 offensive rebounds to JSU's 14. Jacksonville outscored VMI in the paint 42-26, but committed 10 more turnovers than VMI (23) which the Keydets converted into 20 points.

VMI shot just 25% in the second half, but used opportune three-point shooting to stay close and finished 12 of 37 beyond the arc. The Keydets also drained 15 of 20 from the free throw line.

Bell posted his first career-double double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Williams was named all-tournament for his 41-point, 16-rebound effort Friday against Cornell and his 22 points and seven rebounds against JSU.

The Keydets start a three-game homestand beginning next Wednesday against Lees-McRae. Tipoff at Cameron Hall will be 7:00 p.m.