Box Score LEXINGTON, Va.- The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers opened the second half with a 14-1 run, breaking open a close game and defeating the VMI Keydets 109-87 in Big South basketball action Thursday night at Cameron Hall in Lexington, Va.
With Coastal (13-2, 4-0 BSC) leading by nine, Keith Gabriel hit a three-pointer in the opening minute of the second half to make the score 52-46, CCU, but the visitors scored 14 of the next 15 points and claimed a 66-47 lead with 15:48 to play. VMI (9-6, 2-3 BSC) was unable to get closer than 14 points the rest of the way.
In the loss, VMI was led by Gabriel, who had 23 points on the night, but none over the final 19:27. Coastal placed six players in double figures, paced by Desmond Holloway's 25 points on 8 of 11 shooting. The visitors hit 55.6% (40 of 72) from the floor, the second-highest percentage allowed by VMI this season, and outrebounded the Keydets 52-33 en route to their 11th straight win.
The game got off to a back-and-forth start, as there were six ties in the first eight minutes. Coastal briefly took a 12-7 lead, but VMI responded with a 7-0 run, beginning at the 15:17 mark, and took a 14-12 advantage at 14:10 on a Gabriel layup. The Chanticleers tied it moments later, and neither team held more than a four-point edge for the next six-plus minutes.
Coastal took that five-point cushion with eight minutes left in the period, but again, the Keydets answered. Three straight three-pointers comprised a 9-0 run and gave VMI the lead once again, 36-33, with 6:20 left in the half.
After missing their first five three-pointers, the Keydets made six of their next 10 tries from behind the arc. That performance kept them close in a first half that saw several players, including Austin Kenon and Stan Okoye, be called for two fouls apiece early on. D.J. Covington had two first half fouls as well, as did Coastal Carolina's Mike Holmes and Chad Gray.
The back-and-forth play continued until the final minutes of the first half, but the Chanticleers closed the half on a 15-5 run to take a 52-43 lead into the locker room. There were nine ties and six lead changes in the opening period, while Gabriel was the leading scorer with 20 points, including 14 of the Keydets' first 33 markers.
Coastal Carolina came out of the locker room with the game-deciding run, and although the Keydets got back within 14, the Chanticleers stretched the lead from there. The margin grew to 22 with 10:44 remaining before VMI made its final run, a 10-3 effort to get the deficit back to 15, but the visiting squad put the game out of reach with a 12-0 spurt and went to 4-0 in the conference this season.
In addition to Gabriel, Stan Okoye had a 20-point game for the Keydets, and Ron Burks returned from injury to post 11 points and seven rebounds. Coastal's Mike Holmes had a double-double, 12 points and 10 rebounds, in just 17 minutes, while sophomore Kierre Greenwood notched 18 points, had six rebounds and dished out five assists.
VMI freshman point guard Rodney Glasgow missed his first collegiate game, due to chicken pox.
VMI returns to action Saturday, as the Keydets play host to Charleston Southern at Cameron Hall. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
Quotes - VMI Head Coach Duggar Baucom
"The last few minutes of the first half we were up one, but we never had the lead after that. Poor effort, and poor execution on our part the rest of the way. Tonight was just not a good game for us, and it's frustrating because of the 15 games we have played we haven't had a game like this."
"The foul trouble in the first half was tough for us to deal with. We just didn't play hard in the second half or with a lot of effort. We had some good practices this week, but I just don't have an answer at this point. At 6 p.m. yesterday, we find out that we don't have a point guard, and that is tough for anyone to deal with, especially with a guy like Kierre Greenwood on the other side. Ron Burks had to run the point with basically one hand."
"Keith had a good game, played well in the first half as well as the second half with his 23 points. DJ Covington was a bright spot. He had a good second half and altered a few shots throughout the game, even if it didn't show in his block total."
