RICHMOND, Va.- VMI used a strong second-half performance and their best free-throw shooting night of the season to score a 93-84 victory over Richmond on Wednesday evening non-conference basketball action from the Robins Center.

Junior Reggie Williams (Prince George, Va./Prince George), the nation's fourth-leading scorer, did not disappoint in his homecoming game, as he led all scorers with 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Travis (19 pts.) and Chavis (18 pts., 7 reb.) Holmes combined for 30 of the team's 53 second-half points, after combining for only seven in the game's first period. Senior Matt Murrer, also playing in front of a home crowd, chipped in with 16 points and five rebounds.

"It was a great win, considering all of the close games we've had," said Reggie Williams. "It feels great playing in front of the hometown crowd."

But it was the Keydets' (6-8) prowess from the free-throw line that paid huge dividends, as the team not only hit a season-best 23-of-26 (88.5%) from the charity stripe, but also made seven of eight in the final 1:43 to seal the victory.

The win over the Spiders (4-5) marked the second consecutive triumph for the Keydets in the series, and third in the last four meetings. It also marks the first road win for VMI since Dec. 21, 2005, when the team defeated Towson 80-78. It should be noted that the Keydets did defeat South Dakota State earlier this season in a game played in Columbus, Ohio on a neutral court.

The first half saw the game tied four times and the lead change back and forth twice, with VMI grabbing a lead as large as 12 twice in the half, the last of which came at the 4:13 mark with the score 36-24 on a pair of free throws by Matt Murrer. But the Keydets went cold for the rest of the half, as they could only manage a four free throws for the rest of the period, watching UR close the half on an 18-4 run to take a 42-40 lead into the intermission.

"We knew at halftime, scoring 40 points, that if we were at an 80-point pace, we were in good shape," said Baucom. "I told the guys to put 50 on them (in the second half), and that if we scored in the 90's, we would win. We quit making shots at the end of the first half, but the guys didn't hang their heads."

In the second period, despite tying the contest three times, VMI could not take the lead until five minutes into the period, taking a brief one-point lead on a pair of free throws by Fred Robinson, before a three-pointer from Brian Morris again gave the hosts the advantage. But a lay-up by Dusty Pflugner and a three-pointer by Jack Castleberry at the 13:04 mark gave the visitors a 56-55 lead, one they would not relinquish the rest of the way.

After UR fought back to tie the contest for the 11th time at the midway point of the half, it was the Holmes' show for the next three minutes, as Travis and Chavis combined for 14 points as the team used a 17-5 run to take a commanding 81-69 lead. Richmond would draw no closer than seven the rest of the way.

"We got some big rebounds late, and Fred Robinson made a big play, taking a charge," said Baucom. "Reggie Williams...what a homecoming. He and Murrer played great, and Chavis stepped up in the second half. To go to the free-throw line like we did tonight, pretty incredible. I thought our defensive pressure in the second half really got us going. We went back to trapping everything in the second half, and I thought that forced the tempo."

VMI outrebounded their third straight opponent by grabbing 41 boards to UR's 36, while holding a 19-12 advantage in offensive rebounds, leading to 13 second-chance points to UR's five. Chavis Holmes' seven rebounds marked a career-high, while Travis Holmes' eight rebounds were the most by a Keydet.

VMI caused 26 turnovers in the win, as UR's previous season high was 15. The Keydets turned those giveaways into 33 points, while also scoring 14 points on fast breaks. Meanwhile, the team committed only seven turnovers in the second half, compared to 12 by UR.

Since UR's Chris Mooney took over the Richmond program prior to the 2005-06 season, the team has now lost only twice when scoring at least 58 points, while each team's offensive output represented the most points scored and allowed by a Mooney-coach Spider team.

"It was a pretty happy locker room," concluded Baucom. "For what they go through for a whole semester, and to cap it off like this."

* Junior Reggie Williams' 28 points now give him 1,305 career points, leaving him just ten shy of Norm Halberstadt for 15th place all-time. It was the 27th time he scored 20 points or more, tying him with three other players for the seventh-most all-time.