CHARLESTON, S.C. - Saturday afternoon, the Buccaneer men's basketball club suited up against the VMI Keydets for their second and final contest of the inaugural Greenbrier Tip-Off event.
The history of CSU and VMI extends all the way back to 1980 when the teams competed against one another for the first time. After 1981, it would be 20 years before the programs would clash again. After almost 80 years in the neighboring Southern Conference, VMI joined the Big South in 2003. Before Saturday's contest at The Greenbrier, the Keydets and Buccaneers played each other 25 total times, with VMI leading the series 16-9.
The contest tipped at 12 PM, and a half of college basketball does not get much closer. After 20 minutes the Bucs would only trail by a point (40-39). Taje' Kelly would lead CSU in the first half with 10 points and 3 boards. As a group, the Bucs were shooting an efficient 51.6% from the field.
After the halftime break, the shots started falling at a more limited rate for the Bucs. Their field goal percentage would fall 16 percent (35.5%) in half number two while the Keydets held consistent around the 50 percent mark. The Bucs would also struggle at the charity stripe (42.1%) which led to a lot of points being left on the table during their second-half effort to close the scoring deficit.
An additional area, outside of the difference in shot-making, where VMI held an advantage over the Bucs was in the turnover column. The Buccaneers would turn the basketball 17 times to VMI's 8. Ball security, mixed with field goal and free throw shooting, told a large part of the contest's story. Positively, CSU out-rebounded VMI 39-34, and despite making fewer shots, they still accumulated more assists than the Keydets (22-16).
Despite making short runs at a close ball game late in the second-half, there would not be enough time to close the gap as VMI would seal the deal with a 80-69 victory.Only three Bucs finished with double-digits in the scoring column, the highest scorer of the three being transfer big man, Reis Jones. Jones broke his career-high in both the scoring (21) and rebounding (14) columns. This would also mark the third double-double of Jones's career as his previous two double-doubles were during his time at Florida Southwestern State last season.
In addition to Jones's career day, RJ Johnson had his second straight day of quality play at The Greenbrier. Johnson would finish the VMI match-up with 15 points, 6 assists, 2 steals. Shooting 4/7 from the field and 4/5 from free-throw territory.
Johnson would be the Bucs' lone selectee to the Greenbrier Tip-Off's River Division All-Tournament Team. Through two games at America's Resort, Johnson would tally: 29 points, 11 assists, a 56% field-goal shooting percentage (9/16), a 70% three-point shooting percentage (7/10), and an 80% free-throw shooting percentage (4/5). To add to the impressive-factor, Johnson would do all of this off of the bench as he started neither contest at the event.
CSU will not get much recovery time as they get right back on the road to compete against their first of two SEC opponents this season, the LSU Tigers. The Bucs will be in Baton Rouge Tuesday (Nov. 19) to play the Tigers at 8 PM EST.
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