Keydets Fall Short on the Road, 114-107 at Radford

Men's Basketball VMIKeydets.com

Keydets Fall Short on the Road, 114-107 at Radford

RADFORD, Va.- Thanks in large part to Chris Oliver's 36-point, 18-rebound performance, Radford held on for a 114-107 Big South victory over VMI on Wednesday evening at the Dedmon Center.

The loss drops the Keydets to 12-16 overall and 5-7 in the Big South, while the Highlanders improve to 8-19 and 3-9 in the League.

Junior forward Reggie Williams led the way with 33 points and 13 rebounds, his ninth double-double of the season, and eclipsed the 30-point plateau in a game for the 13th time this year. Sophomore guard Travis Holmes posted his first career double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds in the losing effort.

Senior forward Matt Murrer contributed 27 points and six rebounds, while sophomore guard Chavis Holmes made only two field goals but ended up with 15 points after converting 11-of-15 free throw opportunities.

In a game that saw 15 ties and 11 lead changes, Radford took the lead for good with just under four minutes remaining, as RU broke a 91-91 tie with a 16-3 run over the next two minutes to take a commanding 107-94 lead.

The Keydets were not done, however, answering with a 13-3 run of their own to cut the margin to only three points with 23 seconds remaining. Williams led the charge with nine points during the run, with Murrer adding the other four. But the Highlanders finally began sinking their free throws, connecting on their final five attempts after missing their previous seven, and held on to snap a seven-game losing skid.

Much of the Keydets woes in the contest laid in the team's inability to convert from downtown, as the team set a new season-low with seven three-pointers made in the game. In fact, the visitors made only one of 16 attempts (6%)in the final period, shooting 7-of-35 (20%) for the game.

Another factor in today's contest was the Highlander's ability to take care of the basketball. After VMI forced 41 turnovers earlier this season at Cameron Hall, RU committed just 20 in today's contest. Today's physical game also saw 63 fouls called, including four technicals.

The Highlanders shot 57% from the floor in the contest, setting a new Dedmon Center record for points, while it marked the highest output for an RU team since 1984.

The Keydets return to action next Wednesday, hosting Liberty on "Senior Night" on Feb. 21 at Cameron Hall.


Game Notes:

---VMI established a Big South record with 606 assists in a season, besting Charleston Southern's total of 590. The Keydets also set a new school record for field goals made in a season, as they currently boast 1,014.

---Reggie Williams set a new school record for most field goals made in a season, eclipsing Jason Conley's mark of 285 in a season, as Williams now has 289.

---Reggie Williams now sits in 7th place on the Big South career scoring chart with 1,730 points.

---Williams ties Gay Elmore for most 30-point games in a career with 15, and passed Jason Conley with his 13th 30-point game of the season.

---Matt Murrer moved into a tie for 22nd in career scoring at VMI and now has 1,121 points. Murrer has averaged 24.5 points and 9 rebounds over the last four games.

---Chavis Holmes broke the mark for most 3pt attempts in a season (242).

---The Keydets eclipsed the 100-point mark for the 16th time this year, posting a 10-6 mark in those games.

---VMI was whistled for a school record 38 fouls.
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