LEXINGTON, Va. – Hoping to bounce back from a tough loss to UNCG last weekend, the VMI basketball team returns to the hardwood to face Wofford College on the road Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Richardson Indoor Stadium in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Quick Hits
* The Keydets (9-12, 3-5) are coming off a heartbreaking 60-57 loss to UNCG this past Saturday at Cameron Hall. VMI led by 10 points midway through the second half but could not sustain the lead as the visiting Spartans came from behind to win
* The Keydets are one of the best free-throw shooting teams in the league and rank second in the SoCon at 74.9 percent
* VMI's offense that ranks fifth in the SoCon in points per game at 76.1 ppg spurred by 11.2 offensive rebounds a game, fifth-best in the league. On the other end of the court, the Keydets rank third in the league in steals at 8.2 per game
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Tan Yildizoglu directs the offense and averages 4.3 assists per game, third-best in the league
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TJ Johnson ranks fifth in the league in minutes per game at 31.6. One of VMI's top defenders, he is averaging 1.4 steals per game to rank sixth in the league
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Augustinas Kiudulas is sixth in the conference in rebounding at 6.4 rpg and ranks sixth overall in three-point percentage at 43.6 percent
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AJ Clark is fourth in the league in steals per game at 1.7
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Rickey Bradley, Jr. ranks third in the SoCon in minutes per game at 32.3
A win over Wofford would ...
-- Improve VMI to 10-12 on the season and mark the Keydets' fourth SoCon win of the season
-- Snap a two-game losing skid to the Terriers
-- Be VMI's first win in Spartanburg since December 29, 2021, an 80-73 VMI victory
-- Be VMI's 10th all-time win against the Terriers
About Wofford (11-10, 5-3)
The Terriers own an up-and-down 11-10 record on the year but have been successful in Southern Conference play with a 5-3 record in the league. Wofford is coming off a loss on the road to Samford but won its prior two league contests to The Citadel and Mercer. After opening conference action with a loss to UNCG on January 1, the Terriers won three straight over ETSU, Western Carolina and a dominant win at Furman on the road.
Corey Tripp leads the team with 13.0 points per game while Dillon Bailey and Kyler Filewich also average double figures at 11.9 and 11.2 ppg, respectively. Filewich ranks among the top rebounders in the league at 9.9 rebounds per game and also leads the team in assists with 71 on the year. Justin Bailey leads the squad in steals with 26 while Jeremy Lorenz leads Wofford with 14 blocks this season.
All-Time Series History vs. Wofford (9-24)
VMI looks to snap a two-game losing skid to the Terriers when the schools meet Wednesday night as Wofford won both contests last season. The Keydets last defeated Wofford on Senior Day of the 2022-23 season by an 87-83 score in overtime at Cameron Hall. VMI has found some success in recent years in Spartanburg as the Keydets have gone 2-2 in the last four meetings at Richardson Indoor Stadium.
Last Time Out: UNCG 60, VMI 57 –Saturday, Jan. 25 – Lexington, Va.
The VMI basketball team fought valiantly against one of the top teams in the league in UNCG but came up just short as the Spartans escaped Cameron Hall with a 60-57 win over the Keydets Saturday afternoon in Lexington.
The Keydets built a 15-7 lead by the 11:30 mark of the opening half but the Spartans chipped away at the deficit and went up by a point late. VMI's
Tan Yildizoglu then hit a layup in the final seconds of the half to give VMI a 28-27 advantage at the break.
VMI took the reins early in the second half and gradually built a 10-point lead, 51-41, at the 7:11 mark, but the Spartans clawed their way back with three Kenyon Giles treys to pull ahead, 58-57, with 1:23 remaining. The Spartans missed several free throws in the final moments but VMI's shots down the stretch didn't fall as UNCG escaped with the win.
