WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.V. – VMI Basketball picked up its fourth win of the young season after defeating Charleston Southern in the third-place game of The Greenbrier Tip-Off Saturday afternoon at Colonial Hall in The Greenbrier Resort.  

The Keydets, who move to 4-1 overall, earned an 80-69 victory over the Buccaneers, who fall to 1-4 on the year. With the double-digit win, VMI claims third in The Greenbrier Tip-Off. UTRGV and Tennessee Tech played for the title match where the Vaqueros came up victorious, 83-58.

Key Stats
- VMI's 80-piece is the most points over an NCAA Division I squad this season.
- Augustinas Kiudulas posted a game-high 22 points while going 9-15 from the field for his second-straight 20+ point outing.
- Tan Yildizoglu tallied a season-high 17 points off seven made baskets to pair with a team-high five rebounds and six assists.
- Keydets took a season-high 27 free throw attempts.
- TJ Johnson and Rickey Bradley, Jr. each had 11 points to round out double-digit scoring for VMI.
- Johnson knocked down a team-most three triples.
- Bradley Jr. had a team-high three steals.
- Keydets' defense forced 17 Buccaneer turnovers and had nine steals.
- VMI had a season-low eight turnovers.
- Keydets shot a stellar 49.1% from the field, going 28-57.

Scoring Summary
VMI jumped out to an early 11-7 lead after getting six points from Kaden Stuckey and later expanded the lead to eight points at the under-12 media timeout. Charleston Southern would go on a quick run, scoring 18 of the next 24 points to take a solid 28-24 advantage with just under five minutes to play in the first half.
 
Despite the lead change, the Keydets stood tall, picking up five field goals with a pair of threes to take a 40-39 lead at the half.
 
Johnson opened the second frame with a big, long ball to take an early four-point lead. The Buccaneers quickly rebounded with a 7-0 spurt, giving them a 46-44 advantage. Charleston Southern held the lead for over five minutes of gameplay until VMI stormed back thanks to back-to-back buckets by Kiudulas and a floater by Bradley Jr. to regain the lead, 55-51.
 
The Keydets did not stop there, adding a 10-1 surge onto the lead, 65-56. VMI would hold on despite the Buccaneers' late efforts.

After his success during the tournament, Kiudulas was named to the All-Tournament team.
 
Next Up
The Keydets continue the Greenbrier Tip-Off by traveling to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to battle Power Five Pittsburgh Panthers on Monday at 7 p.m. This will be the third meeting between the two squads and the first matchup since 2018. The broadcast will be live on ESPN+ and ACCNX.
 
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.