LEXINGTON, Va. - A 17-0 second-half run helped Charleston Southern earn an 88-80 victory over VMI at Cameron Hall Saturday, Jan. 8. Kelvin Martin and Kenny Mitchell posted double-doubles and aided CSU's dominating performance on the inside.

The Buccaneers improve to 9-8 on the season and 3-2 in Big South with their first road victory of 2010-11. VMI falls to 9-7 and 2-4 with the loss.

Kelvin Martin scored a season-high 22 points to lead all scorers and added 10 rebounds. Kenny Mitchell also posted a double-double, with 19 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. His 17 boards are tied for the most by a CSU player in the last 10 seasons.

The last time two CSU players posted double-doubles in the same game was Jan. 5, 2009 vs. VMI, when Martin and Jo'el Lamb each registered double-doubles.

CSU out-rebounded VMI, 56-33, including 21-12 on the offensive glass. The Bucs scored 54 points in the paint, compared with 44 for the Keydets. VMI scored 28 points off of 20 CSU turnovers. The visitors shot 86.7 percent (24-of-28) from the line and 43.1 percent from the field, while VMI connected on 66.7 percent of its charity tosses and 41.1 percent of its field goals.

Jeremy Sexton scored 15 points for his third straight double-digit scoring game and Jamarco Warren added 11 points, hitting 7-of-7 from the foul line. Johathan Brooks added nine points and 13 rebounds, and led CSU with five assists and four blocked shots.

Stan Okoye, the Big South's leading scorer, paced four VMI players in double-figures with 16 points, followed by Keith Gabriel and D.J. Covington with 15 apiece.

After a slow start to the game, VMI used three-pointers to stake a 10-6 lead. Mitchell and Jeremy combined for all of CSU's points during a 10-3 run, helping the Bucs to a 16-13 lead with 14:19 remaining.

VMI got to within one point at 16-15, after which the Bucs claimed the momentum. A 12-2 CSU run gave the visitors a 28-17 advantage at 8:48. Martin and Mitchell found room in the paint, scoring 10 of the Bucs points during the rally.

Following an exchange of baskets by the two teams, a dunk by Martin gave CSU a 36-25 lead at 5:19. VMI increased its pressure, leading to fastbreak points, going on a 4-0 run to draw to within five at 36-31 with 3:44 left in the first half. Martin put an end to the brief VMI momentum, driving the lane for a layup. He added a free throw for the three-point play, extending the lead to eight at 39-31.

The Keydets outscored CSU 9-2 over the final three minutes of play, as Covington, Nick Gore and Gabriel scored layups. A Joe Carr three-pointer in the final minute narrowed the deficit to a single point at 41-40, a score that faced the teams as they emerged from the locker room following halftime.

Martin led all scorers in the first half with 15 points, and Mitchell added 12 for the Bucs. Gabriel paced VMI with 10 markers. CSU owned the glass in the first half, with 30 rebounds (15 offensive, 15 defensive) to 13 for the Keydets.

VMI reclaimed the lead at 48-45 early in the second half with a quick 8-4 spurt, sparked by five points from Stan Okoye. Baskets by Jamarco Warren and Mitchell gave CSU the edge at 49-48 with 16 minutes remaining.

With VMI ahead 53-50 at 14:27, the Buccaneers then staged a 17-0 run. Sexton, Mitchell, Warren, Brooks and Chris Grier scored as part of the surge to place CSU ahead 67-53. Rodney Glasgow hit a three-pointer with 7:57 showing on the clock, snapping the Keydets' 6:30 scoring drought while producing a 67-56 score.

Warren then hit three free throws, and Sexton nailed a three-pointer to build CSU's edge to 17 at 73-56 with 6:32 on the game clock. The Keydets sliced the deficit into single digits with an 8-0 run, as Kenon, Gabriel and Covington teamed up for the points during the skein. A Martin dunk snapped the rally, and the Bucs led 75-64 at 4:49.

VMI trimmed the lead to eight at 80-72 following a three-point play at 1:37 by Glasgow. Okoye hit two free throws, pulling VMI to within six, 80-74. Late free throws by Warren and Sheldon Strickland assured victory, and the Bucs posted an 88-80 road win.

The Buccaneers return home for a two-game Big South series, competing against Presbyterian College Thursday, Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. before playing host to Winthrop Saturday, Jan. 15 at 4:30 p.m. VMI next plays at Radford Thursday and then takes on High Point Saturday.

Postgame quotes article