Box Score RICHMOND, Va. - VMI chopped a 13-point VCU lead to one, 76-75, with 4:26 left, but the Rams went on to score the next six points and hold on for the win, 86-80, in non-conference basketball action Wednesday night in Richmond, Va.
In only the second meeting between the in-state rivals, VCU improved its overall record to 6-2 while the Keydets fell to 6-4.
VMI was led in scoring by senior guard Austin Kenon and junior guard Keith Gabriel who each tallied 17 points while freshman forward D.J. Covington hit five-of-six shots from the floor and scored 12 points while grabbing nine rebounds and blocking four shots. Sophomore forward Stan Okoye scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the year and 13th of his career.
The Rams were paced by senior forward Jamie Skeen who scored 19 points and hauled in nine rebounds. Senior guard Brandon Rozelle scored 18 points, including 14 in the second half to help hold off the visitors.
The Keydets trailed by eight at the break and surrendered the first basket of the second half to fall behind by their largest deficit of 13 points, 48-35, when Skeen converted a jumper. The margin was matched at the 17:49 mark when Rozelle hit a layup to make it 50-39 for the hosts. The bucket foreshadowed what was to come later in the half, as Rozelle scored 12 straight points to help the Rams maintain their lead throughout the second half and hold back a Keydet surge.
VMI sliced the lead to single digits when D.J. Covington stuck in a putback to trim the score to 50-41. Capitalizing on an energetic defense that forced turnovers and created scoring opportunities that sparked the outside shooting, the Keydets continued their run when junior Wayne Whiting hit a jumper to pull VMI within a 52-47 count just five minutes in the half. A pair of free throws by Kenon brought VMI even closer, 56-52, with 13:09 left in regualtion. Following a Rozelle jumper to push the host lead back to six, the Keydets went on a 10-5 run to make it as one-point game just past the midway point of the half.
Junior forward Micheal Sparks started the spurt with a 3-pointer off an assist by sophomore Nick Gore to move VMI within 58-55, but Rozelle again answered with a jumper on the next possession. Kenon drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key, but Rozelle again responded with another hoop, a 3-pointer from the left wing to push VCU's lead back to five points. Kenon on the next possession fed Covington with a high-low lob that led to a dunk to again make it a three-point game at the 11:12 mark and a Glasgow steal and layup pulled the Keydets within a single point, 63-62 with 9:25 left.
After Rozelle followed with another trey, Kenon answered with a 3-pointer to get the Keydets within 66-65, but seconds later senior guard Joey Rodriguez ripped a 3-pointer, his first basket of the game to hold off another VMI charge.
Twice more VMI would make it a one-point game, the last time at the 4:26 mark when Keith Gabriel went to the line trailing 76-74. Gabriel converted the first toss, but missed the second attempt that would have pulled the Keydets even. VCU layups by Bradford Burgess and Skeen gave the Rams some breathing room and the lead never fell below four points for the remainder of regulation.
The first half saw VMI hit five of its first nine shots from the field and assume a 12-4 lead at the 15:54 mark of the first half. VCU rallied with an 8-0 run to knot the score. After three more ties, the Rams went on a 21-10 run over the last eight minutes of the first half to take a 46-35 lead at the break. The Keydets were hampered by 14 turnovers before halftime, but committed just three in the second half to help remain in striking distance.
VMI shot 42.6% for the game and dropped in nine treys to go 32.1% (9-of-28) from long distance. The Keydets also converted 19 of 25 from the stripe for 76%.
VCU's 3-point shooting proved to be a key factor as the Rams rattled in nine buckets from long distance including four straight bombs by sophomore guard Troy Daniels.
VMI returns home Saturday to play its final game before exam break as it entertains Longwood University at Cameron Hall. Tip-off is 1 p.m.
VMI Head Coach Duggar Baucom -
"I was pleased with what we did in the second half. We took care of the ball. We only had three turnovers in the second half and played much better with the ball. We had been working on that the past two days. I thought we played pretty well except for the last six minutes of the first half. It went from a two-point game to 11. We outplayed them in the second half. We did a much better job of pressuring the ball. We had some loose balls we didn't come up with and had some 2-on-1's and 3-on-1's that we didn't capitalize on when it got close."
"I thought everyone took the court in the second half. Wayne Whiting played well. He only had four points and one rebound, but he had two steals got other people rebounds and stayed well in the post. D.J. Covington gave us tremendous energy and played hard and Stan (okoye) really got us going on the boards. Keith (Gabriel) did a much better job of guarding with four steals. They (VCU) played really well. (Troy) Daniels hurt us with his 3-point shooting and ended up being a difference in the game. I think he had made one shot the entire year. We knew the other guys could shoot it."
"We're getting better, but the good news is that the second half tonight gave us a glimpse of what we can be."
