KEYDETS ESCAPE WITH 55-53 VICTORY OVER RADFORD IN BIG SOUTH TOURNAMENT

BOX SCORE LEXINGTON, Va. – Seventh-seeded VMI held off Radford, 55-53, in the first round of the 2012 Big South Men's Basketball Tournament Monday evening at Cameron Hall.

The Keydets advance to quarterfinal Wednesday where it will meet second-seeded Coastal Carolina at 12 p.m., while the Highlanders conclude the season 6-26.

Radford slowly chipped away at a 12-point deficit and tied the game on separate occasions, including 48-48 with 4:40 left, but Michael Sparks answered with a triple at the other end to put VMI up for good.

Stan Okoye paced two VMI (15-15) players in double figures with 16 points to go along with a game-high nine rebounds.

R.J. Price, a member of the conference's all-freshman team, led Radford with 17 points, while Jareal Smith finished with 11. Price also nailed four 3-pointers for the Highlanders, who shot 42.1 percent from long range.

VMI, which held Radford to just 23.1 percent in the first 20 minutes, jumped out to an 11-3 lead before going to the break up, 29-21.

Both teams concluded the contest under 35 percent from the floor.

The Highlanders, who never led, held one of the nation's highest scoring teams to just 28.6 percent in the second half.

VMI went 16-of-25 at the charity stripe, while Radford also struggled at the line shooting just 56.5 percent (13-23).

Despite the loss, the Highlanders finished with a 42-32 advantage on the glass.

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