cook vs. chattanooga
Paul Bouis
88
Winner Chattanooga UTC 16-8,8-3 SoCon
84
VMI VMI 4-20,1-10 SoCon
Winner
Chattanooga UTC
16-8,8-3 SoCon
88
Final
84
VMI VMI
4-20,1-10 SoCon
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Chattanooga UTC 45 43 88
VMI VMI 40 44 84

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

VMI rally falls short in close loss to Chattanooga

Gallery

LEXINGTON, Va. – Behind a phenomenal effort by freshman Tyran Cook, the VMI basketball team rallied in the second half against visiting SoCon foe Chattanooga but ultimately fell by an 88-84 score Thursday night at Cameron Hall.
 
Cook earned a season-high 28 points, the second-highest point total for a Keydet this season behind only Brennan Watkins' 29 vs. South Dakota at the Arizona Tip-off in November. It marked his fourth time reaching the 20-point benchmark after earning 20 points in three prior contests this season. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native achieved the feat by going a perfect 6-for-6 from three-point range - a new season high - and 10-16 overall from the field while grabbing five rebounds and a season-high six assists.
 
 
Down by only five at the break, 45-40, the Keydets (4-20, 1-10) got behind by 12 early in the second half before rallying to tie the game at 67 apiece at the 9:25 mark off a three by Cook.
 
 
The teams were neck-in-neck the rest of the way as the Keydets earned back the lead at 75-74 at the 4:25 mark off a pair of Watkins free throws. VMI led by three with 1:56 to play off a Watkins layup before Chattanooga's Honor Huff tied it back up at 80-80 on the ensuing UTC possession.
 
The Mocs' Jan Zidek then made a huge three at the 1:13 mark to give UTC (16-8, 8-3) an 83-80 lead, then Huff struck again with 29 seconds left with a trey to give Chattanooga a little breathing room, 86-80, in the final moments en route to the road victory.
 
Inside the Box Score
* VMI only committed seven turnovers on the night and capitalized on 12 UTC turnovers with 23 points on the other end
* The Keydets also outscored the Mocs in the paint, 40-32, and had 30 points off the bench to UTC's 26
* VMI freshman Stephen Olowoniyi played 17 off the bench and earned 15 points - one off from his season-high 16 at Samford on Jan. 13
* Taeshaud Jackson logged 13 points to go with eight rebounds, just two away from his eighth double-double of the season
* Watkins was the fourth Keydet to score in double figures finishing with 10 points
* Freshman AJ Clark came away with nine points and tying his season high with six rebounds
* Former Keydets Honor Huff and Trey Bonham scored 22 and 15 points, respectively, for the Mocs
* Zidek (16) and Sam Alexis (14) also scored in double figures for UTC
* Alexis earned a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds for Chattanooga
 
Up Next
The Keydets have a quick turnaround by facing league leader Samford at home Saturday at 1 p.m. at Cameron Hall




 
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