olowoniyi at citadel
Brian Stone - The Citadel Athletics

Men's Basketball

Basketball to host Western Carolina Saturday

LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI basketball team looks to bounce back from two SoCon losses last week as the Keydets prepare to face ETSU Wednesday night on the road before returning home to face Western Carolina Saturday at Cameron Hall.
 
Broadcast Information
VMI vs. Western Carolina - Saturday, Feb. 24 – 1 p.m.          Watch on ESPN+  |  Live Stats
 
VMI fell to Furman last Wednesday on the road by a 75-62 score in Greenville, South Carolina, before heading to the coast to face rival The Citadel on Saturday. Down just by four against the Bulldogs, The Citadel rallied early in the second half to pull away and earn an eventual 76-51 win on its home court.
 
QUICK HITS
* VMI is one of the top rebounding teams in the Southern Conference, ranking fourth in rebounds per game (37.5) and
second in defensive boards (27.7)
* Taeshaud Jackson II is the primary force in rebounding, averaging 10.1 per game for second most in the SoCon. He also ranks 11th in the league in steals at 1.3 steals per game
* Freshman Stephen Olowoniyi ranks fifth in the league in field goal percentage at .568 and ninth in blocks at 0.9 per game
* Senior center DJ Nussbaum is presently sixth in the SoCon in field goals percentage at .559.
* Junior Brennan Watkins ranks second in the league in free-throw shooting at .873 (69/79). He is also 11th in scoring at 15.2 ppg, and 11th in three-point field goal percentage at .370
 
VMI vs. Western Carolina All-Time Series: 29-40
Saturday's game marks the 70th all-time meeting between the schools. A VMI win will be the 30th all-time over the Catamounts. Western Carolina is currently riding a four-game win streak over the Keydets, including a 102-77 victory over VMI last month in Cullowhee. The Keydets last defeated the Catamounts on Feb. 4, 2022, a 76-69 win in Lexington.
 
A WIN OVER WESTERN CAROLINA WOULD ...
-- Be VMI's 30th all-time victory over the Catamounts
-- Put an end to Western Carolina's current four-game win streak over the Keydets the past two season
-- Be VMI's first win over Western since Feb. 4, 2022, a 76-69 win in Lexington
 
LAST TIME vs. WESTERN CAROLINA - January 20, 2024 - VMI 70, The Citadel 63 - Lexington, Va.
   The VMI basketball team scored the first bucket of the game but host Western Carolina took the reins shortly after as the Catamounts pulled away for a 102-77 win at Ramsey Regional Activity Center on January 20 in Cullowhee, North Carolina.
   VMI freshman guard Tyran Cook scored the first basket before Western Carolina (16-5, 5-3) tied it up and quickly built an 18-4 lead by the first media timeout. The Catamounts gradually added to the lead and went in halftime leading by a 63-33 tally.
 
 




 
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Players Mentioned

DJ Nussbaum

#42 DJ Nussbaum

C
6' 9"
Junior
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

DJ Nussbaum

#42 DJ Nussbaum

6' 9"
Junior
C
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