LEXINGTON, Va. ? In a night where very little went wrong, VMI Basketball posted a dominating 133-72 win over Stevenson University Thursday night at Cameron Hall as seven different Keydets placed in double figures scoring.
Leading the parade was junior forward Chavis Holmes who scored 21 points and collected nine rebounds while going 8 of 13 from the floor. Sophomore guard Austin Kenon scored 18 points and pulled down a career-high nine rebounds and freshman Michael Sparks drained a team-high four 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 18 points. Also scoring in double figures were junior forward Travis Holmes (15), freshman forward Keith Gabriel (14), senior forward Willie Bell (12) and freshman center Wayne Whiting with a career-high 10 points.
VMI tossed in 19 three-pointers on the evening as nine different players connected on at least one from long range. All 13 Keydet players who saw action on the hardwood hit the scoring ledger.
The Keydets set the tone early by jumping to an 18-0 lead over the first minutes of the opening half and never looked back. VMI led 73-38 at the break after shooting 12 of 25 from 3-point range for 48%.
The largest lead VMI posted on the night was 62 points held on four occasions during the last three minutes of regulation.
Junior guard Greg Woody led Stevenson (0-2) with 12 points while sophomore guard Chris Collins added 10 points.
The 133 points scored by VMI was the most since the Keydets dropped in 156 points against Columbia Union on November 28, 2007. The 61-point margin of victory tied the second highest in school history surpasses only by the 156-91 win over Columbia Union and the 156-95 win over Virginia Intermont on November 15, 2006.
VMI also blocked 12 shots, erasing a 17-yard old Cameron Hall record established when the Keydets rejected 10 Bluefield shots on January 22, 1992. Chavis Holmes blocked a career high four shots against Stevenson and Gabriel added three blocks. VMI's 33 assists generated were the fifth highest single game total in school history.
The lone blemish on the night for VMI was found at the free throw line where VMI connected on just 14 of 25 attempts after shooting 84.4% as a team coming into Thursday night's game.
VMI moved to 3-1 for the first time since the 2004-05 season, a year prior to Duggar Baucom's first season as VMI head coach.
After wrapping up its fourth game in seven days, VMI will resume action Monday at Campbell University. Tipoff in Buies Creek, N.C. will be 7 p.m. The game will be the first of two straight road tilts. The Keydets will not return home until Wednesday, December 3, when they face Big South defending champion Winthrop in the league opener in a televised game on MASN at 9 p.m.
VMI HEAD COACH DUGGAR BAUCOM ?“Credit the seniors again. They came out and set the tempo early and it never was really a game. We got after them and exuded some pressure early and we were very unselfish and I was very proud of the guys.”
“Nineteen for 40 from three-point range, I was very pleased with that percentage. The only thing we didn't do tonight was shoot free throws. It's contagious when you miss a few. But Austin Kenon and Ron Burks, as hard as they play along with the seniors, really set the table for everyone one and Keith Gabriel had to have a few highlights tonight. Those three blocks were all special and Michael Sparks got back to shooting the ball before he had his concussion in preseason practice. We had some guys where they had a good shot and passed it on for a great shot. We really shared the ball well tonight.”
“Credit our seniors again. I tell you what...I love those guys ? all of them. Our players do what you asked them to do and they think they're special. We talk about that a lot but this is a special year and a special team and we've got to make special things happen and they're starting that way. It's been a pretty good start. We'll regroup and get ready for Campbell. We'll practice and go down Sunday to Campbell and get ready for that game. That will be a fun game. They play up and down. It will be tough.”
