Sean Conway vs WCU 3
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Men's Basketball

Keydets Take on Catamounts Wednesday in Cullowhee

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LEADING OFF - VMI basketball will wrap up a three-game road Wednesday night when it travels to Cullowhee, North Carolina to face the Western Carolina Catamounts in SoCon basketball action. It will be the second meeting between the teams over a two-week span after the Keydets claimed the first regular season meeting, 81-67, January 27 at Cameron Hall. Wednesday's game will also be VMI's first action in a week after the Keydets posted their first road victory of the year with an 84-80 overtime decision over Wofford February 3 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. VMI carries a 10-9 overall, 5-5 SoCon record swing into the second week of February marking the first time since the 2013-14 campaign that it has been .500 or better at the point of the season. VMI senior guard Greg Parham, who needs 20 points to reach 1,000 career points, resumed posting of 20+ point games when he tallied 22 points in the win over Wofford, giving him ten 20+ point games this season and eight over the last nine contests. Junior center Jake Stephens who also scored 22 points in the win over Wofford, has scored in double figures in nine straight games and is averaging 18.8 points and 8.4 rebounds over that stretch and was named SoCon Player of the Week on Tuesday. 
 
LAST TIME OUT – 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 January 3 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. 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. The Terriers called timeout to set up final strategy, but the Keydets erupted out of the pause by outscoring the hosts with the final eight points of regulation. Stephens started the rally with a 3-pointer at 1:43 and a Parham layup and free throw with 1:03 left that cut it to 74-71. Wofford missed a 3-pointer in the ensuing possession and VMI called timeout at the :22 mark. The Keydets inbounded and worked the ball inside to senior guard Myles Lewis who converted a layup with :13 left to tie the game at 74-74. Wofford senior guard Storm Murphy, who hit a game-winning three against VMI on January 13 at Cameron Hall, missed a pull up 10-foot jumper with :04 left and the Keydets rebounded to force their first overtime game of the season. 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.
 
LAST MEETING WITH WESTERN CAROLINA – January 27, 2021 - VMI outscored visiting Western Carolina  48-24 in the second half to roll to an 87-61 Southern Conference victory from Cameron Hall. The Keydets trailed by seven points (35-28) late in the first half but finished on an 11-2 run to lead 39-37 at intermission. The Catamounts tied the game at 41 before a 13-0 VMI surge, fueled by eight points by sophomore guard Sean Conway, opened a double-digit lead that the hosts would not relinquish. VMI shot 61 percent (19-31) from the floor after intermission, including a 7-12 mark (58%) from three-point range. The Keydet defense held Western Carolina to just 24 percent (8-33) shooting overall and 18 percent (2-11) from distance over that same span. For the game, VMI shot 50 percent (31-62). Senior Greg Parham scored a game-high 23 points with six rebounds and drilled 5-of-7 three-point attempts. Jake Stephens had 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists while Myles Lewis contributed 10 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots. Mason Faulkner paced WCU with 15 points and six rebounds.
 
A win over Western Carolina would:
---Give VMI its sixth win in the last seven meetings in the series
---Move VMI to 6-5 in SoCon play this season
 
 
VMI vs. Western Carolina
This will be the 64th meeting between the teams that first met in 1953. WCU leads the series, 35-28. VMI has claimed five of the last six games between the teams. The schools spilt last year's meetings with each prevailing on the road – WCU won 97-85 in Lexington on January 8, 2020 and VMI took the rematch 74-71 in Cullowhee February 19, 2020. In the most recent meeting, VMI defeated WCU, 87-61, in Lexington on January 27.
 
KEYDETS SURPASS WIN TOTAL OF LAST YEAR – With its tenth win of the year on Feb. 3 (84-80 OT vs. Wofford), VMI in 19 games has already surpassed its win total of nine all last season. The Keydets enter the second week of February with a 10-9 mark – the first time it has entered the final month of the regular season with a .500 or better record since the 2013-14 season. The Keydets have also surpassed last year's conference win mark with five league victories in the books this season after winning three last year.
 
PARHAM BACK AT IT – Senior guard Greg Parham had his string of seven straight 20+ points games halted Jan. 30 with a season-low four points at UNCG, ending a torrid scoring streak. But the Richmond native was back at it against Wofford Feb. 3 with 22 points in the overtime win giving him ten 20-point games on the year. The last Keydet to string together seven straight 20+ games prior to Parham's recent run was Reggie Williams in 2007-08. Parham still leads the SoCon in scoring in league games with a 22.5 PPG average and also tops the SoCon in 3-point percentage with a 48.5% mark. Parham also earned the first SoCon player of the month basketball honor for the Keydets since November 2015 by averaging 23.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in eight January contests, and was named SoCon Player of the Week for consecutive weeks in late January becoming the first Keydet since Jayson Bell in 1997-98 to earn SoCon POTW in consecutive weeks. Parham is 20 points away from 1,000 career points.
 
STEPHENS CONTINUES TO ROLL – Junior center Jake Stephens has been a steady presence in the recent Keydet basketball success and has averaged 18.8 points and 8.4 rebounds over his last nine games. On Tuesday, Stevens was named SoCon Player of the week after a 22-point, nine rebounds against Wofford Feb. 3. Stephens has four double-doubles on the season, most recently on January 20 in the win against Furman with 14 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Earlier in January, Stephens scored a career-high 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the 110-103 victory over The Citadel January 16. Stephens is currently ranked fifth in the SoCon in rebounds (7.6), is third in blocks (1.8) and fourth free throw shooting at 83.3%.
 
LEWIS BACK IN FORM – Senior forward Myles Lewis hit his stride as the season moves into February and is averaging 11.3 points and 6.8 rebounds over the last four games also scoring in double figures in all those contests. He also returned to the starting lineup in the win over Wofford February 3 and is currently ranked second on the Keydets in rebounding averaging 6.8 per game which ranks seventh in the SoCon.
 
LONG RANGE ACCURACY – Through games of February 8, VMI is second in the SoCon in three-point percentage (39.2%) and in 3FG made per game (10.9) which is fourth in Division I. The Keydets have drained 10 or more threes in 13 games this 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.
 
TOPS FROM THE STRIPE - Through games of February 1, VMI is first in the SoCon in free throw shooting percentage converting at an 79.1% success rate which ranks tenth in the nation.
 
CURFMAN EXPANDS IMPACT – VMI sophomore guard Kamdyn Curfman not only matched his season high 17 points for the fourth time this season in the win over Chattanooga Jan. 2, he also dished out a career-best five assists for the second straight game after handing out five at Samford December 30. Curfman has also established himself as one of the best 3-point shooters in the SoCon and has hit a career-best five 3FG in three games this season and six for his career. Through 19 games, Curfman is hitting 41.9 % in 3-point shooting which ranks fourth in the SoCon. 
 
CONWAY ERUPTS vs. THE CITADEL – Sophomore guard Sean Conway produced a career day in VMI's 110-103 win over The Citadel when he posted bests in points (25), rebounds (13) and 3-pointers (7). Against the Bulldogs, Conway hit on 8 of 14 from the floor and was seven of 10 beyond the arc in almost 37 minutes of action. Conway has grabbed 18 rebounds over the past two games.
 
BONHAM SPARKS LINEUP – Freshman point guard Trey Bonham scored a season and career high 20 points against Wofford Jan. 13 in his first start of the year and averaged 11.7 points in seven starts. Bonham, who dished out a season and career-high seven assists against Western Carolina January 27, now has 11 double-figures games on the year. 
NOTEWORTHY –VMI has knocked off two residing SoCon teams this season (Furman and Wofford) after trailing at the half in both games…the 9-1 home start is the best home record to start a season since 2013-14 …the Keydets are 9-0 this season when leading with five minutes in regulation and the Feb. 3 Wofford win was the first victory after trailing with 5:00 left in regulation…VMI is 10-4 when it scores more than 71 points and 0-5 when it scores 71 or fewer points…the Keydets are 7-0 when shooting 50% or better from the floor.
 
EARL GETS #50 – The 84-79 win over Chattanooga January 2 marked the 50th win at VMI for head basketball coach Dan Earl.
 
KEYDET CAPSULE LOOK – VMI returns 10 players from last year's roster including three starters. The 2020-21 roster consists of four seniors, two juniors, four sophomores, and five freshmen.
 
EARL ENTERS SIXTH SEASON – VMI head basketball coach Dan Earl enters his sixth season as head coach of the Keydets and is moving into some select company in the Keydet all-time coaching ranks. Earl joins Louis "Weenie Miller (1958-64) and Charlie Schmaus (1976-82) as coaches who reached six seasons at the helm. Only Joe Cantafio (1986-94), Duggar Baucom (2005-15) and Bart Bellairs (1994—05) had longer tenures as basketball head coach at the Institute.
 
 
 
 

 
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Players Mentioned

Sean Conway

#30 Sean Conway

G
6' 5"
Sophomore
Kamdyn Curfman

#10 Kamdyn Curfman

G
6' 1"
Sophomore
Myles Lewis

#15 Myles Lewis

G
6' 5"
Senior
Greg Parham

#5 Greg Parham

G
6' 4"
Senior
Jake Stephens

#34 Jake Stephens

C
6' 10"
Junior
Trey Bonham

#2 Trey Bonham

G
6' 0"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Sean Conway

#30 Sean Conway

6' 5"
Sophomore
G
Kamdyn Curfman

#10 Kamdyn Curfman

6' 1"
Sophomore
G
Myles Lewis

#15 Myles Lewis

6' 5"
Senior
G
Greg Parham

#5 Greg Parham

6' 4"
Senior
G
Jake Stephens

#34 Jake Stephens

6' 10"
Junior
C
Trey Bonham

#2 Trey Bonham

6' 0"
Freshman
G