LEXINGTON, Va. - In a game marked by several runs, a 33-10 spurt to close out the first half gave the UNC Asheville Bulldogs a lead they would not relinquish as they knocked off the VMI Keydets, 97-84, in a Big South contest played Thursday at Cameron Hall in Lexington.
The Bulldogs (4-12, 2-4 Big South) won despite a career-high 21 points from Stan Okoye, who also had 10 rebounds for his second career double-double. Asheville scored its third consecutive win at Cameron Hall, as they placed six players in double figures in the victory. VMI falls to 5-10 and 1-5 in the Big South.
The Bulldogs jumped out to the early lead, as Sean Smith scored the game's first bucket just 21 seconds in. The Keydets tied it moments later on a Stephen Sargent basket, and the teams settled in for several minutes of back-and-forth action. Neither squad was able to gain larger than a six-point advantage, as the teams battled through three ties and seven lead changes in the opening eight-plus minutes.
Trailing 17-16 after an Eric Stubbs layup at the 11:32 mark, VMI went on the game's first run. A 12-0 rally over the next 2:42, capped by a Nick Gore basket with 8:50 left in the half, gave the Keydets a 28-17 advantage. The home team then scored four of the next six points, including a three-pointer by Stan Okoye, to take their biggest lead of the opening half, 32-19.
Asheville answered with an even larger run, a startling 33-10 push, to close out the half. The spurt included separate runs of 11-0 and 6-0, and helped the visiting Bulldogs take a 52-42 advantage into the locker room. The opening half saw Keith Gabriel lead all scorers with 19 points, while Smith led Asheville with 14 markers, including 4-of-5 from three-point range. The Bulldogs shot 53% from the floor en route to the double-digit halftime lead, and they widened their advantage early in the second period.
An 8-2 Asheville run coming out of the break pushed the margin to 16, and after a VMI basket, the Bulldogs scored the next two hoops to take their biggest lead of the night, 64-46, with 14:53 left to play. During the 12-4 run to open the half, the Keydets lost their leading scorer, as Gabriel left the court due to an apparent leg injury that will be reevaluated Friday. From there, the visitors maintained at least an 11-point advantage until the 9:15 mark, when an Okoye free throw cut the margin to 10, 77-67.
That free throw started a VMI push, as the Keydets gradually chipped away and cut the Bulldogs' advantage to just four, 82-78 with 5:03 remaining, but Asheville went on to close the game with a 15-6 run to account for the final margin.
For the first time this season, the Keydets out-rebounded their opponents, as they claimed a 52-48 advantage on the glass, helped by Sargent's career-high eight rebounds. VMI also nearly equaled the opposition in points in the paint, 46-44. A 5-for-35 outing from three-point range, however, was VMI's lowest output in the past 57 Keydet games, dating back to Feb. 2, 2008.
The Keydets will return to action Saturday evening, as they play host to the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs at Cameron Hall. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
Quotes - VMI Head Coach Duggar Baucom
"Poor three-point shooting was certainly a factor in this game. So were missed free throws. Our defensive effort was also poor. We couldn't make a play when it mattered. What can you say?
The last seven minutes of the first half was atrocious and was the difference in the game. We were up 13 and went to the locker room down 10.
Our three-point shooting was horrendous; it looked like we just met at the park and started playing. That's just discouraging.
Stephen Sargent played well and when he was in there, it changed the flow of the game. But it does no good when he's over there on the bench in foul trouble.
We've tried a little bit of everything and we'll try something else on Saturday."
