Charleston Southern run pulls Bucs to win at VMI

The Charleston Southern Buccaneers used a 23-3 second-half run to pull away from the VMI Keydets, and Kenny Mitchell and Kelvin Martin combined for 41 points and 27 rebounds as the Bucs triumphed 88-80 in Big South Conference basketball action in Lexington, Va.

The crucial run got started with 14:18 to play, as Jeremy Sexton scored to cut a VMI lead to 53-52. Charleston Southern then scored the game’s next 15 points, before Rodney Glasgow hit a three-pointer to end the Keydet scoring draught. Unfortunately for the home team, the Bucs responded with the game’s next six points and took their biggest lead of the game, 73-56 with 6:32 left. All told, VMI went six and a half minutes without a point to allow CSU to pull away.

The Keydets cut the lead to six with 1:21 remaining, but the Bucs put the game away by going 8 for 8 from the foul line in the closing moments to seal the win.

Mitchell had 19 points and 17 rebounds, while Martin poured in 22 points and added 10 boards to help CSU (9-8, 3-2 Big South) hold a 56-33 edge in rebounding. The Bucs made the most of their chances at the free throw line, converting 24 of 28 on the day, including 16 of 20 in the second half.

Charleston Southern also held VMI (9-7, 2-4 Big South) to 6 of 28 from three-point range, including just 1 of 13 combined from Austin Kenon and Keith Gabriel. The Keydets were led in scoring by Stan Okoye, who had 16 points in the setback.

VMI jumped out to the early 10-6 lead, led by a pair of Ron Burks three-pointers, but CSU came back with a 7-0 run and took a 13-10 advantage on a Jeremy Sexton three-pointer at 15:28. The Bucs pulled away a bit, stretching their lead to 11, 28-17, at the 8:48 mark, thanks to 11 straight points in the paint.

The game settled into several minutes of back-and-forth play, with CSU still maintaining its 11-point lead as late as the 5:19 mark, when the score was 36-25. VMI closed the half on a 15-5 run, capped by a Joe Carr three-pointer in the closing moments, and the Keydets trailed 41-40 at halftime.

Charleston Southern had a 10-2 edge in second chance points in the first half, and outrebounded VMI 30-13 in the opening 20 minutes. The Keydets stayed close by forcing 11 CSU turnovers and shooting 50% from the field.

The strong shooting continued early in the second half, and the home team grabbed its first lead since 10-8, taking a 45-43 advantage with 18:22 left. The teams exchanged the lead for the next several minutes, with the Keydets taking it for the final time on a Michael Sparks layup with 15:21 to go, 51-50. Okoye converted a basket on VMI’s next possession, setting the stage for Sexton’s basket and the game-deciding run.

In the loss, VMI placed four players in double figures, including Rodney Glasgow, who returned from illness to post 10 points. D.J. Covington added 15 markers and two blocks, while Gabriel had 15 points as well.

Jamarco Warren had 11 points for the Bucs, while Sexton added 17 and Johathan Brooks grabbed 13 boards in the win. The victory is CSU’s first at Cameron Hall since Jan. 5, 2006, and also marks the first time VMI has dropped two straight to the Bucs since losing five in a row to CSU from 2004 through 2006.