defense - tj johnson - at bellarmine
76
Winner VMI VMI 2-0,0-0 SoCon
71
Bellarmine BU 0-2,0-0 ASUN
Winner
VMI VMI
2-0,0-0 SoCon
76
Final
71
Bellarmine BU
0-2,0-0 ASUN
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
VMI VMI 43 33 76
Bellarmine BU 29 42 71

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

VMI Basketball takes down Bellarmine for 2-0 start

Keydets last opened a season 2-0 in 2013-14

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The VMI basketball team earned a huge road victory Saturday afternoon when it defeated host Bellarmine University by a 76-71 score at Knights Hall in Louisville, Kentucky.
 
The Keydets last opened a season with two wins in 2013-14 and VMI picked up its first road opener victory since the 2010-11 season when the Keydets topped UMBC, 94-77, in Baltimore in the second game of that campaign.
 
The win was also VMI's first victory away from Cameron Hall since taking down The Citadel in Charleston by a 75-69 score on February 2, 2023.
 

 
VMI Head Coach Andrew Wilson
"I'm so proud of our players and staff. We have a connected and resilient group that is playing for each other. It was a total team effort and so many guys stepped up in critical moments. We are still learning each other, but this was a big road win for the program and hopefully a confidence builder as we move forward."
 
Game Summary
VMI trailed 17-10 midway through the opening half before pulling ahead moments later, 24-23, at the 6:51 mark. The Keydets never trailed again as they closed out the half on a 19-6 run to go into the break with a 43-29 advantage.
 
The Keydets kept up the intensity in the second half – leading by as many as 17 early in the second half - and never relinquished the lead despite the Knights pulling within three points on three different occasions with under 10 minutes left in regulation.
 

 
Key Stats
* For the second straight game, sophomore Indiana State transfer Augustinas Kiudulas led the Keydets with 17 points during the contest and TJ Johnson finished second with 14 points. Kiudulas needed just one more rebound to finish with a double-double for the game
* Freshman Linus Holmstrom finished with 12 points including three treys to rank third on the team in points
* Pacific transfer Tan Yildizoglu finished with nine points and a team-high five assists for the day
* Bellarmine's Jack Karasinski finished with a game-high 24 points by going 9-13 from the field and 3-6 from three-point range. Reserve Dylan Branson also finished in double figures with 12 points
* VMI finished with 40 points in the paint to 28 for Bellarmine and had 13 second-chance points to seven for the Knights
 

 
Up Next
The Keydets look to start 3-0 on the season when they play host to Christendom College Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at Cameron Hall
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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