brennan watkins
SportsPhotoGuy.com for VMI
71
VMI VMI 3-4,0-0 SoCon
79
Winner New Orleans UNO 3-4,0-0 Southland
VMI VMI
3-4,0-0 SoCon
71
Final
79
New Orleans UNO
3-4,0-0 Southland
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
VMI VMI 37 34 71
New Orleans UNO 38 41 79

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Second Half Burst Leads UNO over VMI, 79-71

Box Score

NEW ORLEANS, La. - David St. Hilaire scored 22 points and Troy Jackson added 17 points as UNO held off VMI, 79-71 in the third and final day of action Friday afternoon at the UNO Classic at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana.
 
The Privateers (3-4), trailing the Keydets 38-37 at halftime, started quickly in the second half hitting 9 of their first 12 shots from the floor to build a 61-44 lead with 12:13 left. VMI, which hit seven 3-pointers in the first half, connected on just one of its first nine tries from beyond the arc in the second half as UNO built its double-digit lead.
 
The Keydets regained their shooting touch canning a trio of three-pointers on an 11-2 run later in the half to pull within 70-62 following a Kamdyn Curfman 3-point goal with 4:04 left to go in regulation. The Keydets twice trimmed the deficit to six points as late as the 2:24 mark on a Sean Conway layup but could come no closer the rest of the game.
 
UNO shot 50.8% (30-59) while the Keydets hit 39.3% from the floor. VMI was 13-of-40 from long range and converted 10+ threes for the fifth time this season.
 
Senior Jake Stephens led VMI with 17 points and eight rebounds while junior Curfman added 17 points. Junior guard Conway scored 14 points including three 3-pointers and freshman guard Brennan Watkins scored a career-high 14 points including four 3-pointers.
 
UNO converted 11-of-12 from the free throw line including 3-of-4 in the last :28 to hold off the Keydets.
 
VMI outrebounded the Privateers, 35-32, and shot 10-of-12 in free throws, but committed 14 turnovers on the day.
 
UNO started the game on a 10-0 spurt only to see VMI rally with eight straight points and eventually take its first lead (21-19) on a pair of Honor Huff free throws. The first half saw five ties and six lead changes.
 
VMI returns home Tuesday night to face Clarks Summit at 7 p.m.

VMI Head Coach Dan Earl Postgame Quotes:
"Today's game was a tough, hard-fought game. I thought New Orleans did a good job of trying to take us out of our offense. Unfortunately, we had a tough start to the game and start of the second half where we dug ourselves a hole. On top of that we didn't shoot the ball particularly well. We did do some things better, in particular, we did a decent job with rebounding.

"Jake Stephens and Sean Conway had solid games and Brennan Watkins and Tanner Mans gave us some good minutes, as well. I also thought we competed throughout, so I was proud of our effort. We just have to execute better and make some more shots. We will watch the film and learn from some of the things that UNO tried to do to us."




 
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