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Men's Basketball

VMI heads to Macon to face Mercer

LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI basketball team looks to ride the momentum of a late second-half surge against UNCG Wednesday night as it prepares to face SoCon foe Mercer Saturday at 2 p.m. in Macon, Georgia.
 
Broadcast Information
VMI at Mercer – Saturday, Feb. 3 – 2 pm                Watch on ESPN+  |  Live Stats
 
Mercer (9-13, 2-7) has lost five of its last six games and looks to get back on track against VMI after suffering a close 54-49 loss at home to ETSU Wednesday night. Last weekend, the Bears upset UNCG in Greensboro with a 70-64 SoCon win on the road, their second league victory of the season.
 
The Bears are led by Jalyn McCreary, who is averaging 14.0 points per game while Jake Davis ranks second on the team with 9.5 ppg.
 
VMI vs. Mercer All-Time Series (4-18)
Saturday's game marks the 23rd all-time meeting between the schools dating back to 2006. The Keydets looks to snap a three-game skid against the Bears as Mercer won both contests during the 2022-23 season and the game played in Lexington just a month ago. VMI's last win over Mercer came on Feb. 10, 2022, an 85-79 victory at home. The Bears have won five of the last six contests.
 
QUICK HITS
* The Keydets (4-18, 1-8) are coming off a hard-fought 85-79 loss at home to UNCG Wednesday night
* VMI is one of the top rebounding teams in the Southern Conference, ranking fourth in rebounds per game (38.3) and
second in defensive boards (28.3)
* Taeshaud Jackson II is the primary force in rebounding, averaging 10.1 per game for second most in the SoCon. He also ranks 12th in the league in steals at 1.2 steals per game
* Freshman Stephen Olowoniyi is second on the team in rebounding with 6.1 per game, 10th best in the league. He also ranks 11th in blocks at 0.7 per outing
* Tyran Cook is shooting the ball at a high percentage in the field, ranking 10th in the SoCon at .430
* Junior Brennan Watkins is back in first place in the league in free-throw shooting at .887 (63/71). He is also ninth in three-pointers per game at 2.3 and 11th in assists (2.9), while ranking among the SoCon's top scorers in ninth place at 15.7 points per game
 
A WIN OVER MERCER WOULD ...
--- Be VMI's fifth all-time win over the Bears and snap a three-game skid to Mercer
--- Be VMI's second win over the Bears in the last seven matchups
--- Be VMI's second SoCon victory of the season
 
LAST TIME OUT - January 31, 2024 - UNCG 85, VMI 79 - Lexington, Va.
   Down 48-29 at the half, the VMI basketball team used a furious second-half rally to climb back into contention late in the game but came up just short as visiting UNCG escaped Cameron Hall with an 85-79 conference win over the Keydets Wednesday night.
   The Keydets trailed by 18 points with as little as 7:34 left in the game, but never lost their competitive edge and continued to fight until the end, coming to within five at 77-72 with 2:51 left in regulation.
 
LAST TIME vs. Mercer - Jan. 6, 2024 - Mercer 86, VMI 64 - Lexington, Va.
   Three Keydets finished in double figures scoring but it was not enough as the visiting Mercer Bears defeated the VMI basketball team by an 86-64 count on Feb. 6, 2024, at Cameron Hall in the Southern Conference home opener for VMI.
   Sophomore guard Taeshaud Jackson logged his ninth career double-double and fourth of the season as he finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds. The 13 points was just two shy of his season high.
    Freshman center Stephen Olowoniyi registered a new season high with 14 points on the day, while fellow freshman Tyran Cook ended up with 19 points, just one shy of his season high point total.





 
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Players Mentioned

Brennan Watkins

#1 Brennan Watkins

G
5' 11"
Sophomore
Taeshaud Jackson II

#2 Taeshaud Jackson II

G
6' 4"
Freshman
Tyran Cook

#0 Tyran Cook

G
6' 2"
Freshman
Stephen Olowoniyi

#10 Stephen Olowoniyi

F
6' 8"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Brennan Watkins

#1 Brennan Watkins

5' 11"
Sophomore
G
Taeshaud Jackson II

#2 Taeshaud Jackson II

6' 4"
Freshman
G
Tyran Cook

#0 Tyran Cook

6' 2"
Freshman
G
Stephen Olowoniyi

#10 Stephen Olowoniyi

6' 8"
Freshman
F