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Edwards' Three at the Buzzer Lifts Men's Basketball Over First-Place VMI 100-97

       

Edwards' Three at the Buzzer Lifts Men's Basketball Over First-Place VMI 100-97

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CONWAY, S.C. – Junior Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Chipola J.C.) hit a three-pointer as time expired, giving the Coastal Carolina University men’s basketball team (11-15, 5-9 Big South) a 100-97 win over first-place VMI (20-5, 11-3 Big South) Feb. 14 in a Big South matcup in Conway, S.C. The Chanticleers’ Joseph Harris (Lejeune, N.C./Lejeune) had a 33-point, 22-rebound performance in the win, earning career highs in both categories and tying the school’s single-game rebounding performance.

  Down eight (94-86) with 6:02 remaining, the Chanticleers jumped on Harris’ back, as he scored four straight. VMI’s Travis Holmes would be fouled and made 1-of-2 free throws with 4:05 remaining. Coastal Carolina came right back with an Edwards jumper at 3:51, but the Keydets made it 97-92 with 3:34 remaining. That would end up being the final points for the Keydets. The team’s traded missed three pointers, and then traded turnovers. The Keydet turnover led to an Edwards’ layup with 2:18 remaining. Edwards then stole the ball from Chavis Holmes. Freshman Dexter Moore (Bluefield, W. Va./Hargrave Military) missed a three, but the Chants would get it back on a Kenon miss. Moore would miss a three, but Harris collected the rebound. Moore’s second chance was rewarded, as his three with 39 seconds left tied the game at 97. VMI would run the shot clock down, but Chavis Holmes missed a jumper with eight seconds left. Harris grabbed his 22nd rebound and called timeout, setting up Edwards’ buzzer-beating shot from the left side of the three-point arc.   Harris added six assists and a block in 35 minutes. He was 16-of-26 from the field and now has three 30-plus scoring performances against VMI in his career. He tied Moses Sonko’s 22-rebound performance against VMI Feb. 3, 2007. Edwards scored a career-high 28 points, going 11-of-15 from the floor and 4-of-6 from three-point range. He also had five assists and three steals. Moore added 15 points on three three-pointers, while redshirt junior Logan Johnson (Knoxville, Tenn./South Doyle) had eight points, nine rebounds and eight assists.   VMI had five players score in double figures, led by Travis Holmes’ 29 points. He hit five three-pointers and was 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. Keith Gabriel and Chavis Holmes had 18 points apiece, while Michael Sparks and Austin Kenon had 11 and 10 points, respectively. Travis Holmes also had eight assists and three steals.   Coastal Carolina shot 59.2 percent from the floor and was 10-of-19 from three-point range. The 42 field goals were a season high, while the 48 rebounds tied a season best.   VMI made 44.6 percent of its shots and were 19-of-51 from three-point range. They also forced 25 turnovers and had 14 steals.   VMI jumped out to an 18-10 lead on a Travis Holmes three at 14:52, but Coastal Carolina would go on a 9-0 run, as one of the seven lead changes happened at 12:57 on a free throw from senior Matt Brennan (Lee’s Summitt, Mo./Lee’s Summitt). VMI would answer with a 10-2 run, capped by a Michael Sparks layup at 10:53. Coastal Carolina would fight back and take as much as a three-point lead (41-38) at 6:24 on a Harris layup. VMI responded in a big way, going on a 19-3 run capped by two Gabriel free throws at 3:19. Coastal Carolina would trail by seven at half (57-50) as Harris’ layup with 1:23 left was the final tally of the period.   Harris had 20 points and seven rebounds at the break as the Chanticleers shot 66.7 percent in the first 20 minutes. VMI hit 13 first-half three-pointers and were led by Travis Holmes’ 14 points.   It only took 3:56 into the second half for the Chanticleers to regain the lead, as a Harris layup made it 61-60 Coastal Carolina The Chants led by as much as seven at 13:45 on a Moore three and were up 77-70 on Edwards’ free throws, but a 12-2 run by the Keydets made it 82-79 with 9:37 left. Coastal Carolina would cut the lead to 84-83 with 8:34 left on an Edwards’ layup, but VMI scored the next five points to make it a six-point advantage with 7:17 left. The Keydets then took the 94-86 advantage at 6:02 on two Travis Holmes’ free throws.   Sixty-two of Coastal Carolina’s 100 points came in the paint, while VMI scored 34 points off turnovers.   Coastal Carolina wraps up its home schedule Monday, Feb. 16 against Liberty. Game time is at 7 p.m., in Kimbel Arena as the Chants will honor six seniors before the game. VMI continues its road trip at Presbyterian the same night at 7 p.m.