N. CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Charleston Southern Buccaneers broke open a six-point game with a 19-6 run to start the second half and went on to beat the VMI Keydets, 114-81, in Big South men's basketball action Saturday night at CSU Field House in North Charleston, S.C.

After CSU (5-2, 2-0 Big South) controlled much of the first half, leading by as many as 19, VMI (3-4, 0-2 BSC) closed the half strong and cut the margin to eight, 58-50, at halftime. Keith Gabriel scored to open the second period, cutting the lead to six, but Buc guard Saah Nimley answered with the first of his five second-half three-pointers, launching the game-breaking run that would eventually send CSU to the victory.

With the win, the Bucs move to 2-0 in the Big South, and have now won five straight games for the first time since the 2004-05 season. VMI falls to 0-2 in the conference, having lost its first two Big South contests for the second straight year.

Nimley led all scorers with 24 points, including 22 on 7 of 9 shooting in the second half. Five other Buc players scored in double figures, including Arlon Harper, who had 20. Stan Okoye led VMI with 18 points, while Ron Burks added 13 and Nick Gore had 11.

CSU got off to a hot start, opening the game on a 12-2 run to take the early lead. The Keydets got back within eight on a pair of occasions early, doing so after a Brian Brown basket at the 14:50 mark cut the lead to 14-6, and after an exchange of three-pointers moments later, with the score 17-9.

Rodney Glasgow then hit a triple of his own at 13:13, making it a 19-12 game, and CSU launched another run. The homestanding Bucs went on a 15-3 spurt, capped by a Kelvin Martin layup, and with 10:55 to go in the half, they had a 34-15 lead. The Keydets battled back, closing to within 14 after a Gore free throw at the 9:03 mark, but Charleston Southern scored six of the game's next seven points to reassert its 19-point advantage with 7:45 left in the half, 42-23.

VMI still trailed by 18 with 5:37 left in the half, as Martin converted a lay-in to make a 48-30 game, but the Keydets answered with a 15-5 run, closing to within eight on a Jordan Weethee triple with 2:08 left in the period. CSU would go back up by 11 after a three-point play by Harper, 56-45, but VMI scored five of the half's last seven points to go into intermission down just eight, 58-50.

The Keydets had closed the gap despite seeing CSU outscore them in the paint 40-18 in the first half, and having the Bucs shoot a stellar 24 of 37 (64.9%) from the field.

Gabriel scored just nine seconds into the second half, making it a 58-52 game, but Nimley drilled a three-pointer on the next trip down the floor. He went on to score CSU's next basket as well, pushing the lead back to double-digits, and the advantage would not be under 11 the rest of the way. The edge went over 20 on a Nimley three-pointer at the 12:13 mark, and hit 30, 102-71, for the first time with 6:35 remaining.

Martin would score again at the 5:03 mark, giving the Bucs their biggest lead of the night, 107-73, and the teams would essentially trade points the rest of the way. Drew Absher scored VMI's final points with 55 seconds remaining, and Mitchell Deter capped the scoring for CSU with 43 seconds left, hitting a three-pointer to account for the final margin, 114-81.

CSU shot the ball well throughout Saturday's contest, as in addition to posting six players in double figures, the Bucs hit 42 of 69 (60.9%) from the floor. The home team also sizzled from distance, converting 13 of 22 three-point attempts, and was 17 of 20 (85%) at the foul line. VMI shot 50% (34 of 68) overall, but made just five three-pointers in the setback.

VMI basketball will return to action Tuesday, taking on the Pitt Panthers in Pittsburgh, Pa. Game time is set for 7 p.m. 

Quotes - VMI Head Coach Duggar Baucom

"Things were bad the whole night. It's easy to comeback like we did in the first half when you are down 20. We came back and made some plays, but defensively it was absolutely atrocious. They did exactly what they wanted to do. It was a pitiful performance and no excuse for it."

"I don't have an answer for the slow starts, but we'll figure one out."

"I've never been part of a game where we we're down by six with 19:50 to play and lose by 33, but we'll address it and try to get better." 

"The brightest spot tonight is that D.J. Covington played well the six minutes he was in. He was a little more bouncy."