2020-21 VMI BASKETBALL Game 20 | VMI at Western Carolina - Wednesday, February 10 - 7 Pm - Ramsey Center - Cullowhee, N.C
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2020-21 VMI BASKETBALL Game 20 | VMI at Western Carolina - Wednesday, February 10 - 7 pm - Ramsey Center - Cullowhee, N.C. Keydets Take on Catamounts Wednesday Night in Cullowhee LEADING OFF - VMI basketball will wrap up a three-game road Wednesday night when it travels to Cullowhee, North Carolina to face the Western Carolina Catamounts in SoCon basketball action. It will be the second meeting between the teams over a two-week span after the Keydets claimed the first regular season meeting, 81-67, January 27 at Cameron Hall. Wednesday’s game will also be VMI’s first action in a week after the Keydets posted their first road victory of the year with an 84-80 overtime decision over Wofford February 3 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. VMI carries a 10-9 overall, VMI (10-9, 5-5) 5-5 SoCon record swing into the second week of February marking the first time since the 2013-14 campaign that it has been .500 or better at the point of the season. VMI senior guard Greg Parham, who needs 20 points to reach 1,000 career at points, resumed posting of 20+ point games when he tallied 22 points in the win over Wofford, giving him ten 20+ point W. Carolina (8-11, 1-9) games this season and eight over the last nine contests. Junior center Jake Stephens who also scored 22 points in the win Wednesday, February 10, 2021 over Wofford, has scored in double figures in nine straight games and is averaging 18.8 points and 8.4 rebounds over that stretch and was named SoCon Player of the Week on Tuesday. 7:00 p.m. LAST TIME OUT – Senior guard Greg Parham and junior center Jake Stephens each scored 22 points to help lead VMI to Ramsey Center an 84-80 overtime win over the Wofford Terriers January 3 at Richardson Indoor Stadium. The win was VMI’s first win over Cullowhee, N.C. Wofford since February 10, 2001 when the Keydets prevailed 69-60 at Cameron Hall. The Terriers had claimed the previ- TV/Streaming: ESPN+ ous 16 meetings in the series which was interrupted for 11 years when VMI competed in the Big South Conference. The Keydets trailed 74-66 with 1:52 remaining in regulation after Wofford guard Ryan Larson hit a jumper. The Terriers called timeout to set up final strategy, but the Keydets erupted out of the pause by outscoring the hosts with the final eight points Broadcasting of regulation. Stephens started the rally with a 3-pointer at 1:43 and a Parham layup and free throw with 1:03 left that cut Radio/TV WWZW 96.7 FM; it to 74-71. Wofford missed a 3-pointer in the ensuing possession and VMI called timeout at the :22 mark. The Keydets - inbounded and worked the ball inside to senior guard Myles Lewis who converted a layup with :13 left to tie the game at 3wzfm.com; Tune-In App 74-74. Wofford senior guard Storm Murphy, who hit a game-winning three against VMI on January 13 at Cameron Hall, Internet - Live stats at missed a pull up 10-foot jumper with :04 left and the Keydets rebounded to force their first overtime game of the season. VMIKeydets.com VMI quickly seized control of the game in overtime scoring the first eight points of the session while the Terriers came up empty on their first six possessions and missed their first seven shot attempts. Parham put the Keydets up for good with a jumper at 4:45 in OT and was followed by a Stephens jumper and Parham 3-pointer to push VMI ahead 81-74 with 1:31 left. All five VMI starters reached double figures and provided all 84 points of scoring. Curfman finished with 15 points including a trio of 3-pointers while Conway and Lewis added 14 and 11 points, respectively. Wofford placed five in double figures scoring and was paced by Larsen who scored 14 points while Murphy and Sam Godwin each contributed 13 points. LAST MEETING WITH WESTERN CAROLINA – January 27, 2021 - VMI outscored visiting Western Carolina 48-24 in the second half to roll to an 87-61 Southern Conference victory from Cameron Hall. The Keydets trailed by seven points (35-28) late in the first half but finished on an 11-2 run to lead 39-37 at intermission. The Catamounts tied the game at 41 before a 13-0 VMI surge, fueled by eight points by sophomore guard Sean Conway, opened a double-digit lead that the hosts would not relinquish. VMI shot 61 percent (19-31) from the floor after intermission, including a 7-12 mark (58%) from three-point range. The Keydet defense held Western Carolina to just 24 percent (8-33) shooting overall and 18 percent (2-11) from distance over that same span. For the game, VMI shot 50 percent (31-62). Senior Greg Parham scored a game-high 23 points with six rebounds and drilled 5-of-7 three-point attempts. Jake Stephens had 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists while Myles Lewis contributed 10 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots. Mason Faulkner paced WCU with 15 points and six rebounds. A win over Western Carolina would: ---Give VMI its sixth win in the last seven meetings in the series ---Move VMI to 6-5 in SoCon play this season Probable Starters____________________________________________________________________ Pos. # Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Notes G 5 Greg Parham Sr. 6-4 176 19.2 3.8 70 20 Second in SoCon in scoring (19.2), ten 20+ point games this year; SoCon Jan. POTM G 10 Kamdyn Curfman So. 6-1 186 12.2 2.0 45 15 Five 3’s in 3 games this year ; Third on the team in scoring (12.2) G 30 Sean Conway So. 6-5 215 9.9 5.4 25 11 Set career highs in points (25), rebounds (13), and 3FG (7) vs. The Citadel 1/16 G 15 Myles Lewis Sr. 6-5 186 9.7 6.8 19 14 Posted three straight double-doubles in December…6.8 rebounds – 7th in SoCon C 34 Jake Stephens Jr. 6-10 266 14.5 7.6 61 16 Career-high 33 points vs. The Citadel 1/16; four double-doubles in ‘20-‘21 Off the Bench________________________________________________________________________ Pos. # Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Notes G 2 Trey Bonham Fr. 6-0 170 8.7 2.7 33 22 Career-high 20 points vs. Wofford 1/13; double figures scoring in 11 games G 24 Tanner Mans Fr. 6-6 187 2.4 2.2 14 0 Has played in all 19 games; season-high 9 pts. vs. CU-H 12/15 F 1 Tragen Fahl Sr. 6-8 195 0.6 1.1 2 2 Season-high five points, four rebounds vs. CU-H 12/15; has played in 14 games G 12 Ta’Vonne Bond Sr. 6-0 177 1.6 0.7 11 3 Career-high 15 points vs. St. Andrews 11/25; has played in 16 games F 42 DJ Nussbaum Fr. 6-9 230 1.5 1.3 10 1 Tied season-high six points, four rebounds vs. WCU 1/27; Has appeared in 15 games G 11 Devin Butler Fr. 6-2 195 2.3 0.7 0 1 Season-high five points vs. CU-H 12/15; Has played in two of last three games F 14 Sam Wolfe So. 6-8 214 0.7 1.3 0 0 Appeared in one game in 2019-20; season limited by injury F 32 Caleb Moss Fr. 6-7 200 2.5 1.0 2 0 Season-high five points vs. CU-H 12/15 G 0 Louis Tang So. 6-4 195 7.7 6.7 2 2 8 pts, 10 rebounds in opener 11/25 F 21 Connor Arnold Jr. 6-7 206 1.5 1.0 8 1 Hit 8 of 12 three-points shots in 2019-20; Has not played since 12/30 Media Information Schedule/Results (10-9, 5-5 SoCon) VMI Basketball Date Opponent Time/Result Record Key Stats Contacts Nov. 25 St. Andrews (ESPN+) W, 90-63 1-0, 0-0 Bond career-high 15 pts. Nov. 28 at Penn State (BTN Plus) L, 86-65 1-1, 0-0 Trailed 37-35 at the half Wade Branner, Associate A.D./ Athletic Communications (Basketball Dec. 1 Longwood (ESPN+) W, 84-71 2-1. 0-0 Conway career-high 19 pts. Contact) Dec. 3 at Virginia Tech (ACC Network) L, 64-57 2-2, 0-0 Lewis 2nd career dbl.-dbl. Office (540) 464-7515 Dec. 8 Greensboro (Keydet Classic)(ESPN+) W, 100-65 3-2, 0-0 Season-high 55% FG Cell (540) 319-1271 Dec. 10 Mercer* (ESPN+) Postponed --- --- Fax (540) 464-7583 Dec. 13 Hampton (Keydet Classic)(ESPN+) W, 79-64 4-2, 0-0 Five in double figures scoring Email [email protected] Dec. 15 Campbellsville-Harrodsburg (ESPN+) 106-72 5-2, 0-0 Keydets hit 21 three-pointers Web www.VMIKeydets.com Dec. 18 at Gardner-Webb L, 88-77 5-3, 0-0 Stephens career-high 26 pts. Press Row Phone (540) 463-6725 Dec. 21 at George Mason L, 68-66 5-4, 0-0 Stephens second dbl-dbl. of yr. Dec. 30 at Samford* (ESPN+) L, 84-71 5-5, 0-1 Bonham career-high 15 pts. Daniel Whitehead, Associate Jan. 2 Chattanooga* (ESPN+) W, 84-79 6-5, 1-1 Stephens, Parham 25 pts.