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Men's Basketball

Keydets Open SoCon Play at Wofford Wednesday

LEADING OFF – After an extended holiday break that was lengthened by COVID issues, VMI returns to action Wednesday night when it opens Southern Conference action at Wofford. Tipoff from Richardson Indoor Stadium in Spartanburg, SC will be 7 pm. It will be the first time in 15 days since VMI has taken the court after taking ACC foe Wake Forest to the limit before falling 77-70 on December 14 in Winston Salem, NC. VMI had its December 22 game at Hampton canceled because of COVID issues within the Pirate program. The 14-day break surpasses the 12-day pause VMI had last year when its last three regular season games of 2020-21 were canceled due to COVID issues The Keydets enter the conference schedule with a 7-5 overall mark and winners of four of their last five games. VMI is excelling in several statistical categories entering the Wofford game and leads the SoCon in 3-pointers per game (12.7), free throw shooting (.806), field goal percentage defense (.365), 3-point field goal percentage (.273), and defensive rebounds (31.3). Wofford, winners of three of its last four, holds an 8-4 record through non-conference play after dismantling Presbyterian College 76-49 Dec. 18 in Clinton, South Carolina. The Terriers are led in scoring by guard Max Klesmit (15.5) and forward B.J. Mack (14.1).  Following Wednesday's game, VMI rings in the new year Saturday with a conference game at Cameron Hall against Furman. 
 
LAST TIME OUT –Ahead 42-29 at the half over ACC opponent Wake Forest, VMI maintained its lead until three minutes left in the game as the Demon Deacons rallied late to top VMI, 77-70, Tuesday night at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Keydets never trailed in the first half and kept a double-digit lead for much of the second but began to falter after the eight-minute media timeout as the VMI finished 1-for-13 from the field over the final minutes and had zero baskets in the last 2:24. Wake Forest finished strong and converted 5-of-7 attempts over the final few minutes and went-18-for-21 from the free-throw line in the second half to overcome the deficit. VMI led by as many as 17 points late in the opening half. Following a Kamdyn Curfman layup with 7:47 to play to put VMI up, 65-57, the Keydets went scoreless for over five minutes and went 0-10 for the span while Wake Forest caught fire and went on an 11-0 run to earn back the lead, 68-65, with 2:24 to play. Jake Stephens tied it back up at 68 apiece, but that would be VMI's final bucket of the game. Wake's Isaiah Mucius responded with a three to give the Demon Deacons the final lead and Aondes Williams increased the advantage to 73-68 with 1:30 to play, a deficit the Keydets could not relinquish.  Curfman finished the game with 24 points and tied his career high with six threes during the contest as he went 9-17 from the field. Stephens earned a second consecutive double-double - the ninth of his VMI career - by finishing with 12 points to go with 10 rebounds. Wake shot 28-of-31 from the free throw line compared to 5-of-6 from the stripe by the Keydets.
 
LAST MEETING WITH WOFFORD – February 3, 2021 – Senior guard Greg Parham and junior center Jake Stephens each scored 22 points to help lead VMI to an 84-80 overtime win over the Wofford Terriers at Richardson Indoor Stadium. The win was VMI's first win over Wofford since February 10, 2001 when the Keydets prevailed 69-60 at Cameron Hall and it was the first VMI victory in Spartanburg since February 2, 1998 (92-80). The Terriers had claimed the previous 16 meetings in the series which was interrupted for 11 years when VMI competed in the Big South Conference. The Keydets trailed 74-66 with 1:52 remaining in regulation after Wofford guard Ryan Larson hit a jumper. Following a Wofford timeout, the Keydets erupted out of the pause by outscoring the hosts with the final eight points of regulation. VMI quickly seized control of the game in overtime scoring the first eight points of the session while the Terriers came up empty on their first six possessions and missed their first seven shot attempts. Parham put the Keydets up for good with a jumper at 4:45 in OT and was followed by a Stephens jumper and Parham 3-pointer to push VMI ahead 81-74 with 1:31 left.  All five VMI starters reached double figures and provided all 84 points of scoring. Curfman finished with 15 points including a trio of 3-pointers while Conway and Lewis added 14 and 11 points, respectively. Wofford placed five in double figures scoring and was paced by Larsen who scored 14 points while Murphy and Sam Godwin each contributed 13 points.
 
A WIN OVER WOFFORD WOULD ...
--- Be VMI's fifth win over the last six games
--- Give VMI its third road win of the season
--- Post back-to-back wins over Wofford since the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons
 
VMI vs. Wofford
This will be the 27th meeting in the series with Wofford holding a 19-7 advantage. The teams spilt the regular season series last year with the Terriers handing VMI its only home defeat in 2020-21 by edging the Keydets 80-78 in Lexington and VMI prevailing in OT, 84-80. The win was VMI's first win over Wofford since February 10, 2001 when the Keydets prevailed 69-60 at Cameron Hall and it was the first VMI victory in Spartanburg since February 2, 1998 (92-80) ending an eight-game drought. The Terriers had claimed the previous 16 overall meetings in the series. In games played in Spartanburg, VMI is 2-9.
 
STEPHENS CONTINUES TO ROLL , NAMED SOCON POTW, JOINS 1,000 POINT CLUB –With 12 points and 10 rebounds at Wake Forest, senior center Jake Stephens posted his third straight double-double game and ninth of his career. Stephens earlier scored season-high 28 points against Gardner-Webb December 11 to become the 43rd player in VMI history to reach that mark. Stephens also equaled his career bests in rebounds (16) and blocked shots (6) against the Bulldogs and was named GEICO Southern Conference Player of the Week December 13. Stephens is currently second on the team in scoring average with a 15.9 mark and leads the squad in rebounding (8.2) and free throw percentage (84.3%). His 2.3 blocks per game rank second in the SoCon.
 
CURFMAN EQUALS CAREER HIGH –Senior guard Kamdyn Curfman matched his career-high in 3-pointers in a game when he nailed six at Wake Forest December 14. After matching his career-high of five 3-pointers in a game 12 times over the first two-plus years of his career, Curfman initially reached the six 3-pointer mark in VMI's 73-67 win over Central Arkansas November 25. Curfman currently leads the Keydets in scoring with 18.4 points per game which is fourth in the SoCon and has scored in double figures in all 21 games with four 20+ games including a career-high 27 points at Marist November 20. He is tied for the SoCon lead in 3FG per game with 3.9 per game.  
 
MORE LONG-RANGE ACCURACY – VMI currently ranks third in the nation in three-pointers per game averaging 12.7 per contest and have hit 10+ threes in ten games this season. VMI hit 22 three-pointers in the 111-55 win season opening win over Carlow November 9 continuing the prolific perimeter shooting of the past two seasons. The 22 makes from beyond the arc were two away from the school record of 24 set against Southern Virginia in 2008-09. VMI in 2020-21 ranked second in the nation in 3-pointers made per game for the second straight year and averaged 10.8 per game ranking only behind Oral Roberts with 11.1 per contest. The Keydets drained 10 or more threes in 17 games last season. VMI hit a season-best 58.8% in 3-point shooting when they dropped in 10 of 17 shots from beyond the arc against Chattanooga January 2. In 2019-20, VMI also ranked second in Division I in three-pointers made in 2019-20 averaging 10.9 per game, second only to North Florida. VMI hit 18 three-pointers against Samford in the opening round of the 2020 SoCon tournament March 6 and for the season connected on 359 threes – third most on the school all-time list.
 
CAMERON HALL CELEBRATES 40th ANNIVERSARY WITH WIN – The December 11 64-61 win over Gardner-Webb helped celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first game played in the facility on December 5, 1981. Several players and coaches from the past four decades returned to post on the afternoon to participate in a special halftime ceremony that ended with VMI Superintendent Major General Cedric T. Wins '85, who scored the first point in Cameron Hall history, hitting a shot to bring Saturday's ceremony to a close. VMI now has a 303-238 overall record at its home court and has won 15 of the last 16 games played there over the last two seasons.






 
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Players Mentioned

Kamdyn Curfman

#10 Kamdyn Curfman

G
6' 1"
Sophomore
Greg Parham

#5 Greg Parham

G
6' 4"
Senior
Jake Stephens

#34 Jake Stephens

C
6' 10"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Kamdyn Curfman

#10 Kamdyn Curfman

6' 1"
Sophomore
G
Greg Parham

#5 Greg Parham

6' 4"
Senior
G
Jake Stephens

#34 Jake Stephens

6' 10"
Junior
C