No. 9 seed VMI 96, No. 8 seed Samford 78
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – VMI jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in a 96-78 win over Samford in the first round of the Ingles Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Championship presented by General Shale. It was a wire-to-wire win, the first this season against a DI opponent for the Keydets.
 
Jake Stephens’ career-high 24 points led VMI. Greg Parham contributed 16 off the bench with Travis Evee (15), Kamdyn Curfman (14) and Myles Lewis (13) close behind. Brandon Austin paced the Bulldogs with 20, while Robert Allen added 17 points and 13 rebounds. Josh Sharkey also had a double-double, registering 19 points and 10 assists, and Deandre Thomas scored 10.
 
The Keydets scored 13 of the first 17 points with Stephens’ 3-pointer 3:51 into the contest providing an early spark. Samford cut it to six twice midway through the opening half, but VMI was only beginning. Thomas’ layup with 4:29 left in the half made it an 11-point game, 36-25, before the Keydets pulled away with a 16-5 run for a 52-30 halftime cushion.
 
VMI’s lead reached 34, 69-35, on Sean Conway’s 3 with 15:04 to play. Despite the long odds, Samford battled. Allen cut the margin to 18, 74-56, capping seven unanswered points. While the Bulldogs would not relent, the Keydets provided no quarter down the stretch, securing the win.
 
The Keydets move into a quarterfinals date with top-seeded ETSU on Saturday. The game starts at noon in Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville, broadcasting on select Nexstar affiliates as well ESPN+.
 
RECORDS: Samford 10-23 | VMI 9-23
 
3 NOTES TO KNOW
- The Keydets led by as many as 34 in the contest. That’s their largest advantage against a DI opponent in 2019-20, exceeding Dec. 7’s 27-point (88-61) crushing of Stetson.
- Samford swept the regular-season series, winning 78-75 at VMI (Jan. 4) and 84-78 in the regular-season finale last Saturday in Birmingham.
- It’s the first win against the Bulldogs for VMI in four years, who last captured an 83-76 victory on Jan. 21, 2016.
 
3 STATS TO KNOW
- VMI set a record for 3-pointers made in a SoCon tournament contest with 18. The record-setter came with just over two minutes to go on Stephens’ jumper in front of his bench. The previous record of 17 was set by the Keydets against Western Carolina on March 2, 1996, in Greensboro Coliseum, a 97-93 loss in the semifinals in the Catamounts’ lone run to the title.
- The Keydets’ 96 points matches their highest total in a SoCon tourney game, set in last year’s opening-round win over Western Carolina.
- Samford senior Josh Sharkey tallied his 750th career assist on the night. He ended his career with 758, long holding the school record for helpers. He’s third on the NCAA’s active assist records behind Merrimack’s Juvaris Hayes (952) and Michigan State star Cassius Winston (884) and finishes his career second in SoCon history behind only ETSU’s Keith Jennings.
 
No. 6 seed Wofford 93, No. 10 seed The Citadel 76
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Wofford Terriers cruised then weathered the storm in a 93-76 win over The Citadel in Friday’s night cap at the Ingles Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Championship presented by General Shale. The win snapped a seven-game losing skid for the Terriers.
 
Wofford led by as many as 23 early in the second half. The Bulldogs whittled away at the advantage and had the ball down 13 with a chance to add some drama to the proceedings. Tyson Batiste rebounded his own miss and his follow rolled off the rim. The Terriers went quickly in transition, leading a game-settling 3-pointer from Trevor Stumpe.
 
The Citadel kept the fight, closing to 13 twice and immediately getting steals in the press. They could not convert on a 3 by Fletcher Abee nor on Rudy Fitzgibbons’ contested drive at the basket with 7:42 to play. The Terriers scored on five of six possessions to keep the Bulldogs at bay.
 
Nathan Hoover scored all of his team-high 17 in the second half. He was one of five in double figures for the Terriers, joined by Chevez Goodwin (15), Stumpe (11) and 10 each from Storm Murphy and Messiah Jones. Kaelon Harris scored a game-high 22 to lead the Bulldogs. Abee added 16, while Fitzgibbons and Batiste recorded 13 and 11, respectively.
 
It was a productive night from long range for the seventh-seeded defending champs. They hit 16 after VMI set the tournament record with 18 in the night’s first contest. Wofford’s won six of their last eight in Asheville.
 
The Terriers move into a quarterfinals to face second-seeded Furman om Saturday evening. The game begins at 6 p.m. in Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville, broadcasting on select Nexstar affiliates as well ESPN+.
 
RECORDS: Wofford 17-15 | The Citadel 6-24
 
3 NOTES TO KNOW
- Wofford is 5-8 in first-round matchups. Friday night was its first entry in the initial contests since 2013. The Citadel falls to 6-17 in games leading into the quarterfinals.
- The Terriers swept the season series with a 73-71 win in Spartanburg and 79-56 triumph in Charleston.
- Bulldogs freshman Fletcher Abee set the school’s freshman record for 3-pointers made with 80, passing Austin Dahn’s 79 in 2008.
 
3 STATS TO KNOW
- It was a scintillating shooting performance for Wofford, which made 56.5 percent (35-for-62) from the floor and 51.6 percent (16-for-31) from beyond the arc.
- The Bulldogs were +10 in turnover margin, forcing 16 and committing six. Even with that advantage, points off turnovers were even at 10-10.
- The Terriers owned the glass by 17 (39-22). They had a 14-2 cushion in second-chance points.
 
2020 Ingles Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Championship presented by General Shale
Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville, Asheville, N.C.
 
Friday, March 6 (ESPN+)
Game 1 - (9) VMI 96, (8) Samford 78
Game 2 - (7) Wofford 93, (10) The Citadel 76
 
Saturday, March 7 (ESPN+/Nexstar)
Game 3 - (1) ETSU vs. (9) VMI, 12 p.m.
Game 4 - (4) Mercer vs. (5) Western Carolina, 2:30 p.m.
Game 5 - (2) Furman vs. (7) Wofford, 6 p.m.
Game 6 - (3) UNCG vs. (6) Chattanooga, 8:30 p.m.
 
Sunday, March 8 (ESPN+/Nexstar)
Game 7 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 8 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 6:30 p.m.
 
Monday, March 9 (ESPN)
Championship game, 7 p.m.