Gilkeson Nets Career-High 28 but Wofford holds off VMI 79-73

LEXINGTON, Va. – Despite a season-high 28 points from guard Garrett Gilkeson, the VMI men's basketball team fell 79-73 Wednesday evening to visiting Wofford College in a Southern Conference game from Cameron Hall.

The 6-4 senior from Parkersburg, W. Va. poured in 21 of his game-high total after intermission and kept the Keydet comeback hopes alive late in the contest. VMI trailed by 13 with under two minutes left to play, but an aggressive press defense and hot shooting from Gilkeson made it a two-possession game (75-70) with 27 seconds left. Gilkeson netted 11 points in the game's final two minutes, but the Terriers made their last six free throws to hold on for the win.

Gilkeson also tied for the game-high with nine rebounds and added three assists and three steals. He shot 11-of-16 from the field and 4-of-5 from long distance. Sophomore center Jake Stephens scored 11 points and contributed six rebounds, three blocks, three assists and two steals. Louis Tang scored nine with five rebounds and Greg Parham posted seven points, five assists and four boards. Travis Evee tallied eight points and four assists.

Chevez Goodwin, the reigning SoCon Player of the Week, paced Wofford (16-8/8-3 SoCon) with a career-high 27 points and nine rebounds with 20 trips to the free-throw line. Nathan Hoover had 18 points and Trevor Stumpe had nine points and four assists. The Terriers made 26-of-43 attempts from the charity stripe.

The Keydets (6-18/1-10) travel The Citadel Saturday for another conference clash at 1 p.m.

Quotes from head coach Dan Earl:

"Wofford inflicted their style on us. They were very physical with us in the first half on both sides of the ball so credit to them. They are physical and push you around. It was tough to watch in the first half and I don't think we responded in the correct way in the first half but credit our guys for responding in the second half and being much more physical. It started off with Garrett Gilkeson driving early and setting the tone.
 
"Garrett always brings that energy and effort on those things you can control and he certainly brought that tonight with his effort. Certainly he had an outstanding game leading by example."