2011-12 VMI BASKETBALL KEYDET BASKETBALL GAME NOTES KEYDET BASKETBALL GAME NOTES KEYDET BASKETBALL GAME NOTES #7 VMI to Face #6 Winthrop in Big South Semifinals Winner Will Play for NCAA Tournament Berth Saturday Afternoon #7 VMI will bid for a berth in the Big South’s title game Thursday night, as the Keydets take on #6 Winthrop in the semifinals of the Advance Auto Parts Big South Basketball Championship. Thursday’s game marks VMI’s fourth semifinal appearance in six years. Game time is set for 6 p.m., as the Keydets and Eagles will play in the first of two semifinal #7 VMI (16-15) games, both of which will be broadcast on ESPNU. vs. #6 Winthrop (12-19) Thursday, March 1 - 6 p.m. Much like their quarterfinal opponent, Coastal Carolina, the Keydets and Eagles have a history in the Big South Kimmel Arena Championship. In 2007-08, VMI made a surprising run through the tournament and reached the finals, only to fall to the Asheville, N.C. top-seeded Eagles when a Reggie Williams three-pointer at the buzzer was just off the mark. Winthrop went on to win RADIO- 96.7 3WZ Lexington an NCAA tournament game that season. Last year, the Keydets defeated Winthrop in first round action at Cameron Hall INTERNET- Live Audio and Stats online at to advance to the semifinals. www.wrel.com and Overall, VMI and Winthrop will meet for the 25th time, with the Eagles holding a 14-10 edge in the current series. www.VMIKeydets.com. Seven of the last eight meetings, however, have been decided by seven points or less, and the Keydets have won three of TV/Video- ESPNU the last four, including last year’s first round tournament victory. Justin Kutcher (play-by-play) and LaPhonso Ellis (analyst) VMI enters after a quarterfinal win over #2 Coastal Carolina, a victory in which the Keydets shot 57% from the floor and made 14 of 28 from three-point range. Keith Gabriel led VMI with 20 points, while freshman Jordan Weethee was Tale Of The Tape 5 of 6 from distance, matching a career-high. VMI WU 80.4 Points Per Game 63.9 This Season’s Meeting with Winthrop at Cameron Hall (2/25/2012) Keith Gabriel had 32 points, including nine of VMI's final 10, and the VMI Keydets defeated the Winthrop Eagles, 81.5 Points Allowed 65.7 86-79, in Big South action held on VMI Basketball Alumni Day at Lexington's Cameron Hall. With the teams locked in a 44.4% Field Goal % 42.4% back and forth battle, Winthrop's Andre Jones hit a three-pointer to put the Eagles up by one with 4:09 remaining, but Stan Okoye fired back with a triple of his own. Gabriel then hit a triple with 2:40 left, stretching the lead out to five, and 48.7% FG % Allowed 44.2% went on to score the next six Keydet points to help send the 3,665 fans home with a VMI win. 31.8% 3-Point FG % 31.6% This Season’s Meeting with Winthrop at Winthrop (1/7/2012) 8.7 3-Pt. FG Per Game 5.0 Keith Gabriel had 26 points, but Andre Jones notched 27 of his own and Reggie Middleton posted a double-double, 71.2% Free Throw % 65.7% helping the Winthrop Eagles survive a late VMI rally and prevail, 91-84, over the Keydets in Big South basketball action Saturday in Rock Hill, S.C. 13.3 Assists Per Game 11.1 A Win over #6 Winthrop Would: 13.1 Turnovers Per Game 12.2 Send VMI to the conference’s title game for the third time in six years. 8.4 Steals Per Game 6.9 Give the Keydets a chance at their fourth NCAA tournament berth. Probable Starters *=Blocks Per Game Pos. # Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Notes F 2 Quinton Upshur Fr. 6-5 210 5.1 2.7 0.8 1.4 Equaled career highs with 15 pts., six rebs. against Asheville (2/2) F 11 Stan Okoye Jr. 6-5 205 17.6 7.1 2.0 1.5 Earned Second Team All-Big South honors, five double-doubles this year F 15 Ron Burks Sr. 6-4 215 9.8 3.8 3.3 1.4 19 points, eight rebounds vs. Gardner-Webb (1/2) G 21 Keith Gabriel Sr. 6-4 185 17.9 3.6 1.9 1.8 31 points in win over CSU (2/23), 20 pts. in quarterfinal win over Coastal (2/29) C 34 Jarid Watson Fr. 6-7 210 1.6 2.4 0.2 0.6* Eight points, four rebounds at UNC Asheville (1/5); four blocks vs. W&M (2/18) Off The Bench Pos. # Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Notes G 1 Rodney Glasgow So. 5-10 170 6.2 1.7 2.8 0.9 Seven points, four rebounds in quarterfinals against Coastal (2/29) G 3 Brian Brown Fr. 5-11 185 1.6 0.8 0.2 0.2 Career-high 15 points against Gardner-Webb (2/11), led team in scoring G 5 Drew Absher So. 5-10 170 0.5 0.5 0.3 - Grabbed two rebounds at Ohio State (11/23) C 24 D.J. Covington So. 6-9 235 4.5 2.5 0.6* 0.3 16 points, eight rebounds at Winthrop (1/7) F 30 Nick Gore Jr. 6-6 220 4.5 2.1 1.2 0.5 14 points against Asheville (2/2), started 19 games this season G 31 Michael Sparks Sr. 6-4 195 8.4 2.5 0.6 0.5 15 points, seven rebounds in win over William & Mary (2/18) C 32 Wayne Whiting Sr. 6-7 240 1.6 0.8 0.2 0.2* Made his third start of the year on Senior Day against Coastal Carolina (2/25) F 40 Jordan Weethee Fr. 6-6 220 6.4 2.2 0.7 0.2 Nailed 5 of 6 (15 pts.) from three-point range in quarterfinals against Coastal (2/29) G 4 Christian Burton Fr. 5-10 170 1.0 0.3 - 0.4 Currently sidelined due to injury G 14 Joe Carr Jr. 6-3 195 - - - - Has not seen action this season due to injury Media Schedule/Results (16-115, 8-110 Big South) Information Date Opponent (Television) Time/Result Record Key Stats Nov. 11 vs. The Citadel (CBSSN) W, 103-100 1-0 Keydets put six players in double figures, led by Okoye’s 19 X VMI Basketball Contacts Nov. 12 at Air Force L, 65-75 1-1 AFA shoots 62.5% in first half en route to All-Military Classic title Wade Branner, Associate A.D./Athletic Nov. 15 Alice Lloyd W, 101-74 2-1 Keydets force 18 second half turnovers en route to win Communications (Basketball Contact) Nov. 19 UMBC W, 84-79 3-1 Okoye scores 16 in second half, 24 overall to lead VMI Office (540) 464-7515 Nov. 23 at #3 Ohio State L, 74-107 3-2 OSU shoots 67.6% en route to victory Cell (540) 319-1271 Dec. 1 at Coastal Carolina* L, 78-87 3-3 Okoye scores 21 in second half, but Coastal holds on Dec. 3 at Charleston Southern* L, 81-114 3-4 CSU blows open six-point game with second-half run Fax (540) 464-7583 Dec. 6 at #14 Pittsburgh L, 70-97 3-5 Weethee paces Keydets with 18 points Email [email protected] Dec. 8 Central Pennsylvania W, 109-86 4-5 22-5 second half run breaks game open Web www.VMIKeydets.com Dec. 10 Milligan W, 122-73 5-5 VMI shoots 64% and has 61 bench points in rout Press Row Phone (540) 463-6725 Dec. 12 at Longwood L, 89-110 5-6 Longwood hits 20 3’s, Weethee career-high 19 in loss Dec. 22 at Old Dominion L, 73-81 5-7 ODU pulls away late despite Gabriel’s 34 Brad Salois, Associate Athletic Dec. 31 Presbyterian College* W, 78-70 (OT) 6-7 Okoye 27 points, first OT win since 2009 Communications Director (Secondary) Jan. 2 Gardner-Webb* W, 76-72 7-7 Okoye and Burks combine for 44 of VMI’s 76 points Office (540) 464-7015 Jan. 5 at UNC Asheville* L, 85-94 7-8 Asheville puts five in double figures and leads wire-to-wire Cell (940) 642-9865 Jan. 7 at Winthrop* L, 84-91 7-9 Gabriel scores 26, but Winthrop holds off late Keydet rally Email [email protected] Jan. 10 Liberty* (Flames Sports) W, 71-57 8-9 Okoye 16 second-half points, best BSC defensive effort since ‘05 Jan. 14 Radford* (MASN) W, 80-76 9-9 Gabriel’s 28 pts (20 in 2nd half) helps Keydets hold off RU rally Jan. 19 High Point* W, 88-77 10-9 Okoye 25 points, nine rebounds - Gabriel 29 and five assists John Stark, Assistant Athletic Jan. 21 at Campbell* L, 73-80 10-10 Gabriel 33 points, Okoye career-high 18 rebounds Communications Director Jan. 26 at Radford* W, 65-60 11-10 Keydets break road drought with win, Okoye 23 pts. Office (540) 464-7514 Feb. 2 UNC Asheville* L, 86-89 11-11 Two late misses cost Keydets shot at win Cell (570) 809-1946 Feb. 4 Winthrop W, 86-79 12-11 Gabriel’s 32 points and second-half rally pace Keydets to win Email [email protected] Feb.