The VMI Keydets put all five starters in double figures, led by QJ Peterson’s 21 points, and shot 17 of 31 from three-point range to propel their squad to a 94-74 win over the Wright State Raiders Saturday afternoon at Cameron Hall.
The 17 three-pointers tied a season-high as the team was led by Brian Brown’s five triples, while Rodney Glasgow (15 pts., 10 asts.) and D.J. Covington (14 pts., 11 rebs.) added double-doubles. Covington’s double-double marked his second straight.
Despite the final score, the game was tightly contested early. Over the first 11:43, there were five ties and 10 lead changes, but when Glasgow hit a triple at the 8:17 mark, the Keydets (5-4) took a 28-25 lead and would not trail again. Wright State (5-6) stayed within single digits until Covington scored with 1:48 left in the half, pushing the margin to 10, and WSU got no closer than seven the rest of the way.
Saturday’s game marked the second straight in which VMI had put all five of their starters in double figures, as Jordan Weethee (15) and Brown (15) joined Glasgow, Covington and Peterson’s efforts. It also marked a drastic turn from last year’s game with the Raiders, as the contest saw an 18-rebound swing from the 2012 game between the schools. VMI held a 41-33 edge on the glass Saturdayafternoon after being outrebounded by 10 last year.
After the game was tied, 25-25, VMI started a 10-2 run with Glasgow’s three to take an eight-point lead, 35-27 with 5:34 left in the opening period. Wright State got back within six on two occasions, the last of which came with 3:19 to go, but a 7-2 Keydet push to finish the half sent VMI into the locker room up 11, 47-36.
Both teams shot the ball very well in the opening period, with VMI going 16 of 34 from the floor (47.1%) and 9 of 16 (56.3%) from three-point range while WSU finished 14 of 29 (48.3%) from the floor.
The second half started with the Raiders gradually chipping into the Keydet lead, as baskets by Matt Vest cut the margin to eight on two occasions, the last of which came with 17:10 to play. With 14:35 to go, a Miles Dixon jumper cut it to seven, but Vest missed a layup on WSU’s next possession that would have cut the lead to five. That proved to be a turning point, as Covington scored on the other end for the Keydets to start an 11-3 run. Brown capped it with a three at the 10:02 mark, pushing the lead to 15 at 69-54.
The Keydets went up 20 with 7:27 to play, doing so on a Peterson breakaway dunk, and took a game-high 23-point lead on a Glasgow three with 5:20 left. The teams played relatively even over the last five-plus minutes, with WSU scoring five of the game’s last seven points to account for the final margin.
WSU was led by AJ Pacher’s 14 points, while Dixon and Vest also finished in double figures with 13 and 12 markers, respectively.
Off the bench for VMI, Chapman had nine points including a 2 of 2 effort from three-point range, while Philip Anglade had five points and a career high three blocks. With his 10 assists, Glasgow came up one short of his career high, while Brown continued a run that has now seen him go 11 of 21 from three-point range over the last three contests after making just two triples in the season’s first six games.
VMI returns to action Monday night, facing Virginia – University of Lynchburg at Cameron Hall. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
Quotes – VMI Head Coach Duggar Baucom
“It’s good to be back home. I’m very pleased. We worked really hard on our shooting. Sometimes, it felt like it wasn’t paying off but today I think we showed we could make some shots.”
“We rebounded the ball and passed the ball better and today we showed that when you make shots you guard harder and get out in the passing lanes more- it’s just human nature. I’m just pleased top to bottom overall on the effort the guys gave.
“Rodney Glasgow was magnificent 15 points, 10 assists and only one turnover. That’s pretty remarkable against a squad that is known as one of the best half court defensive teams.”
“We were able to feed it inside and get DJ some touches and that set things up.”
“They had to go small because some of their big guys got in foul trouble and I felt we made some good adjustments after they drove the ball on us in the first half.”
“I’m really pleased when the scoring is that spread out. It makes it very hard for people to guard you.”
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