LEXINGTON, VA. – Senior Bernard Pelote led Western Carolina with 14 points, but a cold-shooting second half coupled with VMI finishing with 10 3-pointers helped push the Keydets past the Catamounts 66-50 on Wednesday night from Cameron Hall in Lexington, Va.
 
Pelote posted his seventh straight double-figure scoring performance, connecting on five field goals including a pair of 3-pointers, and tying for the team-high with six rebounds. Redshirt sophomore Marcus Kell added 11 points off the bench, making 4-of-5 field goals including a trey in the defeat. Junior Vernon Collins was a force on the glass, boarding six rebounds and three on the offensive end. Freshman CJ Hyland led WCU with three steals on the defensive end.
 
Transfers Augustinas Kiudulas, Rickey Bradley, and Tan Ylidizoglu each scored 14 points apiece to lead the Keydets in the victory for VMI. Kiudulas had five rebounds and three steals, while Bradley boarded seven misses and recorded a pair of thefts. Yildizoglu connected on two threes and added a team-high four assists and three rebounds. TJ Johnson rounded out the double-figure scoring for VMI with 12 points, sparking the Keydets with four 3-pointers while adding a team-high tying seven rebounds.
 
VMI (7-11, 1-4 SoCon) raced out of the gates with a 9-2 run over the opening three minutes on a trio of 3-pointers as the hosts took the early lead before Pelote and Emery combined to score five of the next seven points that cut it to an 11-7 score with 14:39 to play in the first half.
 
After the two teams traded free throws, the Keydets answered with 10 of the next 16 points to take the most significant lead of the opening half at eight, 23-15. Western Carolina used an 11-to-4 run over a 5:34 timeframe led by Kell and McKey to cut the deficit to one, 27-26, but a pair of late free throws from VMI around a bucket from Pelote as the Keydets led 29-28 at the break.
 
Behind a fast start from Brandon Morgan and Vernon Collins, the Catamounts used a 7-2 burst to gain its first advantage and eventually pull out to a four-point lead, 35-31, just three minutes into the second half. The Keydets answered fast, though, scoring 10 unanswered points to flip the contest to a 41-35 VMI lead five minutes into the second half.
 
The two teams traded runs of 7-0 and 5-0 that allowed the margin to stay at four points before a Pelote layup made it a 46-44 game with 8:58 to play. However, the Catamounts were unable to get any closer as VMI used a decisive 12-to-3 run over the ensuing five minutes to stretch the lead to double digits before ultimately claiming the 66-50 win.
 
Western Carolina (5-11, 1-4 SoCon) was held to a 30.8% (16-of-52) from the floor for the game and made five 3-pointers while converting 13-of-18 from the free throw line. VMI finished with an 18-of-51 (35.3%) shooting performance, including making 10 threes at a 33.3% clip and making 20-of-21 (95.2%) at the free throw line.
 
WCU led the rebounding battle by three, 37-34, including 10 offensive boards, with three apiece for Kell and Collins. VMI scored 15 points off the Catamounts' 17 turnovers, compared to 13 Keydet giveaways for 13 Catamount points. The guests won the points in the paint by eight, 22-14, and had a bench-scoring advantage of 21-8, led by 11 from Kell.    
 
The Catamounts return home on Saturday, Jan. 18, for a "White Out Ramsey" matchup against instate conference foe UNCG on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center. Tip-off with the Spartans is slated for 3 p.m.
 
The first 800 fans through the gates on Saturday will receive a replica white WCU home jersey courtesy of Champion Credit Union. Also, for the first time since Jan. 18, 2022, the ZOOperstars return to the Ramsey Center on Saturday, presented by WCU Residential Living.
 
Saturday's game will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live audio coverage through the Catamount Sports Network available online at CatamountSports.com and on 105.7 FM / 540 AM WRGC "The River" in Sylva. Live stats are also available via a link on CatamountSports.com. 
 
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