LEXINGTON, Va. - For the second time this season, Charleston Southern took the top team in the conference down to the wire but came up short vs. the VMI Keydets, dropping an 82-76 contest Monday, at Cameron Hall. The close loss is all too familiar for the Bucs, who saw 8 ties and 12 lead changes before the Keydets pulled ahead for good. With the loss, CSU dropped to 7-16 on the season and 2-10 in the Big South, while VMI improved to 20-4 with an 11-2 conference record.

Jamarco Warren came off the bench to tally 21 points, 4 rebounds, and two assists. Omar Carter posted a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds. Austin Johnson and JT Knight chipped in with 12 and 11 points, respectively. For the VMI, the league's leading scorer Chavis Holmes did not disappoint, recording 33 points to lead all scorers.

The Bucs got off to a slow start but came roaring back to finish the first half. The Keydets posted the first nine points of the game before CSU got on the board at the 15:07 mark for a 9-2 score. VMI went up by nine, but the Bucs surged for a 17-3 run behind 15 combined points from Johnson and Warren. From that point there were three ties and three lead changes in the half.

The score was knotted at 26 with 6:53 left on the clock before Johnson put CSU up again with a jumper. Both teams led by as many as four in the final minutes, but the Bucs escaped into the locker room with a two point advantage, 39-37.

Johnson led the Bucs heading into the intermission with 12 points on 5-10 shooting. CSU shot better than 45 percent from the floor in the first half, while holding the Keydets to 35 percent.

The Bucs traded baskets early on the second period, but a Warren three game them a one point advantage with 17:32 left in the game. CSU went down by three, but responded with an 8-0 run thanks to a Carter three, to take a 58-53 advantage. A game of runs continued, as VMI came back to tie things up at 63-63 with 10 minutes remaining.

Immediately following were 9 unanswered points by the Bucs, capped off by a Joel Lamb jumper, as CSU tied the biggest lead of the game with a 72-63 score. Unfortunately the Keydets ended with the biggest run of the game, 19-4, over the final 7:10. The Bucs were down just three with 1:35 left to play, but couldn't convert on a couple opportunities. VMI hit their free throws to bring the final score to 82-76.

The Bucs will return to the CSU Field House for a three game home-stead, starting this Saturday with Liberty in a 7:30 p.m. contest.