Staff Report
VMI sports: www.vmikeydets.com
VMI junior guard Austin Kenon converted six straight free throws in the final 14.1 seconds of regulation to hold off the High Point University Panthers and give VMI a 94-91 win before a sellout crowd at the Millis Center Saturday night.
VMI won its first road game of 2009-2010 and handed High Point its first home loss of the season. The Keydets improved to 6-12 overall and 2-7 in the Big South Conference. High Point dropped its third game in its last four contests and now stands 10-9, 5-4 Big South.
Kenon finished the night a perfect eight-for-eight from the stripe and scored 20 points. He connected on a pair of free throws at the 14.1, 6.6, and 4.0 marks on the clock to preserve VMI’s second-half lead, which had withered away from 19 points earlier in the half.
The game’s outcome was not certain until HPU sophomore guard Nick Barbour’s three-point try from left wing to send the game into overtime missed as the buzzer sounded.
The Keydets were led in scoring by freshman forward Stan Okoye, who produced his fourth straight 20-point, 10-rebound effort with career-highs of 24 points and 14 rebounds. Okoye tallied 20 of his points in the first half.
VMI also got a double-double effort from sophomore guard/forward Ron Burks who scored 19 points and collected 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the year. Sophomore guard Keith Gabriel and senior guard Adam Lonon scored 14 and 10 points, respectively.
Barbour led the Panthers in scoring with 21 points, including 12 in the second half, and redshirt freshman forward Corey Law added 13 points and 15 rebounds. Senior guard Eugene Harris tallied 18 points for the home team.
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