LEXINGTON, Va.- Keith Gabriel's step-back three-pointer with 4:51 left keyed a 9-1 run and sent the VMI Keydets to a 65-55 win over the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in non-conference basketball action Thursday night at Cameron Hall in Lexington, Va.

The win pushed VMI to a 4-0 record for the first time since 1985-86 and just the third time in program history, and gave the Keydets a chance to start a year 5-0 for the first time ever when they take on Southern Virginia on Tuesday night.

On this evening, however, Stan Okoye had his third consecutive double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to pace VMI. Gabriel had 15 points for VMI, including eight over the final 5:26, and now sits just three points shy of 1,000 for his career.

Jacksonville State dropped to 1-2 with the loss, as the Keydets earned their first win over the Gamecocks in three tries. The visitors had 16 second-chance points to just four for VMI, but could not overcome the home team hitting 13 of 14 free throws over the final six-plus minutes to clinch the win.

Thursday's contest was the fewest points registered by VMI in a win since Dec. 21, 2008, when the Keydets beat Army 62-55 in West Point. This contest saw the Keydets jump out to the early lead, sprint to a 9-1 run early and take a 16-7 advantage at 12:10. The early portions of the game were marred by turnovers, as the teams combined for 10 such miscues in the opening 7:50 of action.

The visiting Gamecocks responded with a 6-0 run, cutting the Keydet lead to 20-18 at the 8:40 mark, but an Austin Kenon three-pointer extended the margin back to five, and D.J. Covington followed with his first career basket, a layup off a backdoor pass from Kenon. The freshman's layup pushed the VMI lead back to seven, 25-18, but JSU answered with a 13-0 run over the next five minutes to take its first lead since 6-5, 31-25.

The game continued to be a contest of runs, as VMI went on a 7-0 spurt to retake the lead with a minute left in the half, but Jacksonville State converted a lay-up with under a second remaining, giving them a 33-32 halftime lead.

VMI shot 55% from the floor in the opening half, but turned the ball over 13 times and missed more free throws in the opening half than it did in the entire game Tuesday night (five to four). Despite that, the Keydets were led by Kenon in the first half, as he went 4 of 6 from the field, including 3 of 5 from three-point range, en route to 11 points.

JSU jumped out quickly in the second half, scoring the first five points of the period and taking a five-point advantage, 39-34, with 16:16 to go. After an exchange of baskets, the Keydets came back with a 7-1 run, grabbing the lead right back, 45-42. The Gamecocks' Nick Murphy answered with a basket to cut the lead to one, and Jeremy Bynum tied it with a free throw with 9:29 to play.

For the next four minutes, neither team could get more than a two-point lead, until Gabriel hit a pair of free throws at the 5:26 mark, giving VMI a three-point cushion, 51-48, and starting the decisive run. Murphy missed a layup at the other end, and on the ensuing possession, Gabriel hit the eventual back-breaking trey to put the Keydets up six.

The home team would make just one field goal the rest of the way, but the game was iced at the charity stripe, where VMI went 9 of 10 after the crucial trey.

VMI prevailed despite being outrebounded for the first time this season (39-35), although the Keydets did hold a 23-21 edge in that category in the second half. The home team also shot just 29.4% from three-point range, but after shooting just 58.3% (7 for 12) from the foul line in the first half, VMI bumped that percentage to 76.0%, 19 for 25, over the final 20 minutes. The Keydets also had a season-best nine blocks, including three from Covington in his collegiate debut.

JSU forced 18 VMI turnovers and got 20 points from Murphy, but could not overcome a 22.6% effort from the field in the second half, when the Gamecocks made just seven field goals.

The Keydets will look for the first 5-0 start in school history next Tuesday, Nov. 23, when VMI plays host to Southern Virginia. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m. at Cameron Hall.

Quotes - VMI Head Coach Duggar Baucom

"I'm very proud of the guys. We talked about being a second half team. I told the team at the half that we only had to beat them by two in the second half, and we beat them by 11, so I'm very pleased with the effort they fought with. Just real, real pleased."

"Keith Gabriel came up with a big three, one of the two we hit in the second half. They were crowding the 3-point line, and we knew that if we could get to the line we would have a shot. We did a great job in the second-half shooting 19 of 25 from the line."

"Still had too many bonehead turnovers. We had 13 in the first half, and five in the second. A lot of them were forced, some unforced. In the second half we did some good things, D.J. Covington got in there and it wasn't a bad performance for him in 23 minutes. Austin Kenon kept us in the game in the first half which was huge."