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2010-11 VMI BASKETBALL KEYDET BASKETBALL GAME NOTES KEYDET BASKETBALL GAME NOTES KEYDET BASKETBALL GAME NOTES Keydets Open Big South Championship vs. #5 Winthrop VMI Hosts Tournament Game For Second Time in Three Seasons After winning its final five conference games, VMI basketball has earned its second first round Big South Championship home game in the past three seasons and will host #5 seed Winthrop Tuesday night. The game will tip-off at 7 p.m., and will be broadcast live on the Big South Network at www.bigsouthsports.com. An audio broadcast and live stats will also be available via vmikeydets.com. No. 4 VMI (17-112, 10-88 BSC) vs. No. 5 Winthrop (13-116, 9-99 BSC) In the midst of their Big South streak, VMI held four straight conference opponents to 74 points or less, winning each of those contests. In fact, since surrendering 99 points in a loss to Coastal Carolina on Feb. 5, the Keydets Tuesday, March 1, 7 p.m. have allowed just 71.2 points per game, 11 points under their season average. For the year, VMI is 12-1 when Cameron Hall holding its opponents under 80 points. Lexington, Va. That defensive resurgence has been keyed by freshman center D.J. Covington, the 2010-11 Big South Freshman RADIO- 96.7 3WZ Lexington of the Year. Last week, Covington extended his double figures scoring streak to six games and averaged 13.5 INTERNET- Live Audio and Stats points and 8.5 rebounds in VMI’s two road wins last week. VMI is 6-2 in conference games Covington has started, online at www.VMIKeydets.com. and the freshman’s 2.4 blocks per game leads the Big South and ties VMI’s school record. He is just the seventh freshman, true or redshirt, in Big South history to block 50 shots, and concluded the regular season by winning the VIDEO STREAMING - last three BSC Freshman of the Week awards. Covington is VMI’s first Big South Freshman of the Year, and first www.bigsouthsports.com overall since 2001-02 (Jason Conley, Southern Conference). Tale Of The Tape Saturday’s win over Winthrop allowed the Keydets to finish the regular season at 17-12, the second-most wins VMI WU the squad has posted since 1995-96, when VMI won 18 games, and also the second-most wins the team has had since joining the Big South (24 in 2008-09). 88.5 Points Per Game 65.5 VMI and Winthrop have history in the Big South Championship, as the Keydets’ 2006-07 run ended in Rock Hill 82.2 Points Allowed 66.5 with a 84-81 loss to the Eagles in the conference title game. That is the only time the teams have matched up in 44.9% Field Goal % 41.7% postseason play. 45.9% FG % Allowed 41.4% Last Meeting with Winthrop (2/26/11): Rodney Glasgow gave VMI the lead on a jumper with 1:19 to go, and Austin Kenon drained an outside shot 35.8% 3-Point FG % 31.0% with 27 seconds remaining to seal the victory as the VMI Keydets defeated the Winthrop Eagles 89-85 Saturday 11.4 3-Pt. FG Per Game 4.2 night in Rock Hill, S.C. to close out the regular season for both teams. 70.4% Free Throw % 64.0% A VMI win against Winthrop would: Send VMI to the conference semifinals for the second time in three years. The Keydets would play the winner of 15.2 Assists Per Game 11.8 #1 Coastal Carolina vs. #8 Gardner-Webb Thursday night at 8 p.m. in Conway, S.C. 13.6 Turnovers Per Game 13.3 9.0 Steals Per Game 7.4 KEYDETS AT A GLANCE Probable Starters Pos. # Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Notes G 1 Rodney Glasgow Fr. 5-10 170 9.8 2.5 4.0 1.1 14 games with 1 TO or less, 19th nationally in assist/TO ratio, BSC All-Freshman G 10 Austin Kenon Sr. 5-11 180 18.3 3.3 3.3 1.0 First Team All-Conference, second in BSC in scoring (18.3 ppg) F 11 Stan Okoye So. 6-5 205 16.4 8.1 1.7 1.2 Fifth in Big South in PPG, third in rebounds per game F 15 Ron Burks Jr. 6-4 215 9.0 4.7 3.4 1.7 Was defensive key to VMI’s 2008-09 Big South Championship run C 24 D.J. Covington Fr. 6-9 235 9.5 5.6 2.4* 0.7 BSC Freshman of the Year, led league in blocks per game (2.4) Off The Bench Pos. # Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Notes G 5 Drew Absher Fr. 5-10 170 2.8 0.2 0.1 0.2 10 of 16 from the floor this season, including 6 of 11 from three-point range G 14 Joe Carr So. 6-3 195 1.3 1.1 0.6 0.3 Had four points and three boards in win over Gardner-Webb (1/2) G 21 Keith Gabriel Jr. 6-4 185 14.3 3.1 1.5 1.7 Ninth in League in scoring, season-high of 30 vs. UMBC F 30 Nick Gore So. 6-6 220 6.2 3.6 1.1 0.7 13 points in W over Presbyterian Coll. (2/24), part of five-game BSC win streak G 31 Michael Sparks Jr. 6-4 195 7.2 2.7 0.6 0.8 Averaged 10.4 PPG over last five contests at home C 32 Wayne Whiting Jr. 6-7 240 1.5 1.7 0.3 0.2 Tied career-high with five rebounds against Coastal Carolina (2/5) C 50 Stephen Sargent R-Jr. 7-0 275 1.9 3.6 1.3* 0.6 Did Not Play Second Semester (Eligibility); Out for BSC Championship as Well *- Blocks Per Game Media Schedule/Results (17-112) Information Date Opponent (Television) Time/Result Record Key Stats Nov. 12 Randolph W, 106-65 1-0 Keydets score 67 second-half points, Glasgow 17 pts., 8 assists X VMI Basketball Contacts Nov. 14 at UMBC W, 94-77 2-0 17-6 2nd half run breaks game open, Gabriel 30 pts., Okoye 21-14 Wade Branner, Associate A.D./Athletic Nov. 16 UVA-Wise W, 120-88 3-0 VMI holds rebounding edge for 3rd straight game, Okoye 28-10 Communications (Basketball Contact) Nov. 18 Jacksonville State W, 65-55 4-0 Late 9-1 run breaks open close game, VMI hits 13 of final 14 FT’s Office (540) 464-7515 Nov. 23 Southern Virginia W, 94-78 5-0 First 5-0 start since 21-22, Covington 9 blocked shots Nov. 27 vs. West Virginia (MASN) L, 66-82 5-1 WVU closes with 18-6 run after Keydets cut lead to 64-60 late Cell (540) 319-1271 Nov. 29 Central Penn College W, 151-92 6-1 Seven in double figures for first time since 11/20/08 Fax (540) 464-7583 Dec. 2 Winthrop* L, 82-88 (OT) 6-2 WU scores first six points in OT Email [email protected] Dec. 4 Presbyterian College* L, 78-92 6-3 All five of PC’s starters score double-figures, Okoye 30 pts. Web www.VMIKeydets.com Dec. 8 at VCU L, 80-86 6-4 VCU opens up one-point game with 6-0 run with 4:30 left Press Row Phone (540) 463-6725 Dec. 11 Longwood W, 114-82 7-4 Okoye double-double in first half, Covington career-high 16 pts. Dec. 19 at Marshall L, 70-98 7-5 Okoye 24 pts, 15 reb., but Marshall puts five in double figures Brad Salois, Associate Athletic Dec. 31 at UNC Asheville* W, 83-72 8-5 VMI ends UNCA’s 13-game home winning streak, Kenon 26 pts. Communications Director (Secondary) Jan. 2 at Gardner-Webb* W, 97-76 9-5 Okoye 27 pts., 19-1 first half run breaks game open Jan. 6 Coastal Carolina* L, 87-109 9-6 Coastal places six in double figures, remains unbeaten in BSC Office (540) 464-7015 Jan. 8 Charleston Southern* L, 80-88 9-7 CSU holds 56-33 rebounding edge, Mitchell 19 pts., 17 reb. Cell (940) 642-9865 Jan. 13 at Radford* W, 105-71 10-7 Keydets score 60 in first half, place six in double figures Email [email protected] Jan. 15 at High Point* W, 97-91 11-7 Late 13-0 run puts game away, VMI moves to 4-0 in BSC on road Jan. 20 at Liberty* W, 100-82 11-8 Liberty shoots 56.3% from the floor, 9 of 11 from three Scott Kemps, Assistant Athletic Jan. 27 Gardner-Webb* W, 85-66 12-8 Kenon becomes VMI’s all-time leading 3-point shooter Communications Director Jan. 29 UNC Asheville* L, 87-100 12-9 UNCA uses 10-1 second-half run to break open close game Office (540) 464-7514 Feb. 3 at Charleston Southern* L, 90-101 12-10 CSU puts six in double figures, overcomes 30 from Kenon Cell (201) 248-0816 Feb. 5 at Coastal Carolina* L, 86-99 12-11 Coastal wins Big South record 20th-straight game Feb. 10 High Point* W, 87-74 13-11 Covington career-high 20, 18-5 second half run leads Keydets Email [email protected] Feb. 12 Radford* W, 71-58 14-11 27-5 second half run boosts VMIto win Feb.