LEXINGTON, Va. - VMI starts the month of February with a two-game home stand beginning Thursday night against Chattanooga. Of the eight remaining regular season games, the Keydets will play five at Cameron Hall. VMI will be looking to avenge an 83-65 setback at Chattanooga in their SoCon opener December 9. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN3.
Last Time Out: UNCG 93, VMI 66 - Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019
Down just 43-33 at the half, the VMI basketball team went cold in the second half as the Keydets were outscored 50-33 by the host UNCG Spartans to allow UNCG to roll to a 93-66 win January 31 at the Greensboro Coliseum. The first half proved exciting with two lead changes and three ties, but the Spartans began to pull away late in the half with a 15-0 spurt before extending the lead after the half with an 18-2 run. UNCG was dominant in the paint with 48 points and capitalized on VMI turnovers with 21 points from 12 Keydet mistakes.The Keydets hit eight threes in the opening half but went 2-10 from then on to falter as the game progressed. UNCG also won the rebounding battle by a 44-27 tally. Sophomore guard Greg Parham scored 11 points for his first game in
double figures since the Jan. 12 Wofford matchup. Bubba Parham led the Keydets with 12 points while Myles Lewis poured in 11 and Garrett Gilkeson had 10. Isaiah Miller and Demetrius Troy led the way for the Spartans with 20 points apiece while Francis Alonso contributed 17.
Last Meeting with the Mocs: Chattanooga 83, VMI 65 - December 9, 2018
Freshman forward Kevin Easley scored 26 points and added eight rebounds to help lead Chattanooga to an 83-65 win over VMI December 9, 2018 at McKenzie Arena in the Southern Conference opener for both teams. The Mocs, who captured their third straight home win, sank 13 3-pointers including seven in the second half to break open the game and end a two-game skid to the Keydets. Chattanooga (5-5, 1-0) placed four in double figures scoring including David Jean-Baptiste (18), Jerry Johnson (17), and Jonathan Scott (11). The Keydets (5-6, 0-1) were led in scoring by guard Bubba Parham with 13 points while guard Garrett Gilkeson chipped in 12 points and eight rebounds and forward Miles Lewis added 12 points and seven rebounds. Forward Sarju Patel tallied 10 points for his fifth double figures scoring game of the season. Chattanooga shot 45.3% from the floor while the Keydets hit at a 38.2% clip. VMI outrebounded the Mocs, 39-38, and got 17 points scoring from its bench. VMI was held to six 3-pointers for the fourth consecutive game and went 6 for 23 from beyond the arc.
A win over Chattanooga would ...
-- Give VMI its second straight win over Chattanooga in Lexington.
-- Be VMI's third win over the Mocs over the last four meetings.
Series History – VMI vs. Chattanooga
This will be the 58th meeting between the teams that first met in 1978. Chattanooga leads the overall series, 43-14, but the Keydets have taken three of the past five matchups including a season sweep last year (70-69 at Chattanooga, 68-65 in Lexington). Chattanooga claimed the last meeting 83-65 December 9 in Chattanooga.
Patel Makes First Start
VMI employed its third starting lineup combo of the year when it inserted sophomore Sarju Patel at guard against The Citadel January 26. It was the first career start for Patel who also started the next contest at UNCG Jan. 31.
