LEXINGTON, Va. - Three different players posted double-doubles for visiting Radford, led by Art Parakhouski's 30 points and 22 rebounds, as the Highlanders defeated the VMI Keydets 111-84 in a Big South contest played Tuesday at Cameron Hall.
The two teams battled through a close game early, with six ties and six lead changes coming in the opening 9:52. VMI retook the lead on a basket by Hunter Houston, 24-22, with 10:08 left in the first half, but Radford launched a 15-2 run over the next 2:14 to go up 37-26, and the Highlanders would not trail again.
Parakhouski's 30 points moved him past the 1,000 career point plateau, as he reached the mark in just 55 career games, the sixth-fastest effort in Big South history. His 22 boards tied the Cameron Hall record, was a new Radford school record and allowed him to post the first 30-20 game in Highlander history. Joey Lynch-Flohr had 13 points and grabbed 13 caroms, and Lazar Trifunovic scored 27 and had 12 boards.
With the win, Radford moves to 12-10 on the year and 8-4 in the Big South, while VMI falls to 7-14 and 2-9 in conference play.
The Highlanders got off to a 5-0 advantage to start the game, including a Parakhouski layup in the opening minute, but VMI came back to take its first lead of the night, 12-10 on a Stan Okoye jumper at the 15:39 mark. After the hoop, neither team could muster larger than a three-point cushion until the Highlanders pushed the lead to 12, thanks to the 15-2 run that gave Radford the lead for good.
That spurt gave Radford an 11-point advantage, and the Highlanders held the same margin at halftime, 55-44. They maintained that lead on the strength of Parakhouski's 17 points and 11 boards, as well as a 54% effort from three-point range. VMI saw Michael Sparks notch 11 markers in the opening period, while Ron Burks added 10.
In the second half, Radford gradually pulled away. After an exchange of three-pointers to open the half, the visitors went on a 13-4 run to take a 20-point cushion. Although the Keydets climbed back within 14 on two different occasions, the Highlanders closed out the game by scoring the last 11 points to account for the final margin.
Radford held a 58-24 edge in points in the paint, including 32-8 in the second half, to help push them to their fourth consecutive win over VMI. The Keydets were led in scoring by Sparks, who had 19 points, while Austin Kenon had 18 and Burks notched 17 in the losing effort. Also Tuesday night, Adam Lonon became the 10th player in VMI history to amass 300 career assists. Sophomore guard Keith Gabriel did not play, as he served a one-game suspension due to team disciplinary measures.
The Keydets return to action Thursday, as they play host to Presbyterian College in a Big South contest. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
Quotes - VMI Head Coach Duggar Baucom
"We tried to play the odds with their three-point shooting. They came in at 28%, and tonight they doubled it, shooting at 56%. Credit them for making shots."
"I thought out game plan was sound, but we got behind and didn't score. When we fell behind, we had to do some other things."
"We got it down to 14 at the eight-minute mark, had a wide-open three and missed it, and it went downhill from there."
"In the first half, we didn't back in transition to stop their run. They got several transition baskets, and just ran back faster than us."
"We had some wide open looks. It's frustrating because that's what you work for. You try to get guys open shots."
