LEXINGTON, Va. - The VMI Keydets shot 53 percent from the field and put four players in double figures, en route to a 107-72 win over the Central Penn College Knights in basketball action Wednesday night in Lexington, Va.
Central Penn (8-5) led 2-0 early, but the Keydets (3-3) scored on their next trip down the floor and never trailed again. The game was never in doubt, as VMI blistered the nets in the early going, to the tune of a 34-8 run in the first nine-plus minutes of action.
The Keydets were led by Tim Marshall, who finished with a season-high 21 points in his return to the starting lineup following a two-game absence. Marshall's night included a 5 for 8 evening from long range. Julian Eleby added 20 points and six assists, while QJ Peterson chipped in 18 markers and eight rebounds.
All told, the Keydets played 12 different players and 11 of them scored, including walk-ons Will Weethee and Chase Jones. Both Weethee and Jones were seeing their first collegiate action.
Central Penn had a game-high 27 points from Tyree Tucker.
VMI continued to shoot the ball well following the game-opening run, as the Keydets went up by 30 for the first time at the 6:43 mark of the opening half, 43-13. That mark reached a half high, 34, when Armani Branch scored with 1:26 left in the period, but Central Penn finished the half by scoring the last five points, leaving VMI up 56-27 at the break.
The tale of the first half was VMI's long-range shooting, as the Keydets went 10 of 16 (62.5%) from beyond the arc to blow the game open early.
The second half was more of the same early, as the Keydets took a game-high 42-point lead with 12:06 to go. Central Penn was able to outscore VMI 30-23 the rest of the way to account for the final margin of 107-72.
The Keydets finished the game 35 of 66 (53%) from the floor and 14 of 30 (46.7%) from three-point range. VMI was 23 of 24 (95.8%) from the foul line, falling just shy of the school record effort percentage-wise at the charity stripe that was set in 1968.
Central Penn shot 37 percent from the floor (27-73), but just 1 of 12 from long range (8.3%).
VMI basketball will return to action Saturday, when the Keydets take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio. Tip time is set for 4:30 p.m. and the game will be available on the Big Ten Network.
QUOTES - VMI Head Coach Dan Earl
"We got off to a quick start and we were really sharing the ball offensively. It was great to see. I think that when we play unselfishly, good things happen. We also defended throughout. They were missing one of their better players which was unfortunate for them, but I thought we were dialed in and gave great defensive effort. Overall, it was a good team effort."
"It was nice to see Tim Marshall make a couple of shots and get into the mix. We're trying to get him to affect the game in a variety of different ways and then his shot and his offense will come."
"We were really communicating in the first half and we came out with energy and effort which is what defense is about. I thought we did a good job defensively trying to keep them in front and limit their three point shots as well."
"We certainly have our work cut out for us this weekend (Ohio State and Butler) but we'll see what we can do and I expect our guys to be ready to go."
