NEW ORLEANS – Behind timely offensive rebounding down the stretch, the Presbyterian Blue Hose (3-2) defeated the VMI Keydets (2-3), 59-54, in their first game in the UNO Classic.
 
The Blue Hose grabbed 18 offensive rebounds which led to 17 second-chance points.
 
Rayshon Harrison scored 19 of his game-high 22 points in the second half. Harrison also grabbed five rebounds. Trevon Reddish-Rhone scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Winston Hill scored nine points while collecting five boards. Owen McCormack scored seven points and grabbed eight rebounds with five of them being offensive boards.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF – VMI scored six of the game's first seven points. The Blue Hose went on a 7-0 run behind the scoring of Hill, Harrison, and McCormack taking an 8-6 lead six and a half minutes into the game. VMI scored nine of the next 11 points taking a 15-10 lead at the 8:29 mark. Presbyterian scored eight straight points over the next minute and a half taking an 18-15 lead when Reddish-Rhone knocked down a three. Then, VMI scored five of the next seven points tying the score at 20 with 5:45 on the clock. The Keydets went on a 7-0 over the next two minutes taking a 27-20 lead. The Blue Hose closed the half by scoring seven of the final nine points cutting VMI's halftime lead to 29-27.
 
SECOND HALF – The Blue Hose came out of the locker room on fire, scoring the first nine points taking a 36-29 lead after an emphatic dunk by Harrison with 16:15 on the clock. Harrison scored all nine of Presbyterian's points during the run. VMI scored nine of the next 11 points tying the score at 38 with 11:22 left in the half. Over the next seven minutes, the lead exchanged hands several times. With 4:23 on the clock, VMI led Presbyterian, 51-47, the Blue Hose would close out the game by scoring 12 of the final 15 points for the 59-54 win. Over the final 50 seconds of the game, the Blue Hose grabbed three big offensive rebounds which closed out the win.
 
QUOTABLE
"The guys really fought for 40 minutes," Presbyterian coach Quinton Ferrell said. "We started slow and did not shoot the ball great. I thought the guys hung in there. We challenged them at halftime to play with more energy, In the second half, we did a good job of picking up the energy. We closed the game out with offensive rebounds down the stretch which was a huge key to the game."
 

NOTES

• Harrison recorded his 16^th straight double-figure scoring game with 22 points.  
• Reddish-Rhone tallied his 12^th career double-figures scoring game with 10 points.
• Eight Presbyterian players scored in the game.
• Presbyterian grabbed 18 offensive rebounds which marked the third time this season that the Blue Hose have grabbed at least 18 offensive boards in a game.
• The Blue Hose finished the game with a 20-7 advantage in points off turnovers and a 17-2 advantage in second-chance points.

 

NEXT GAME
The Blue Hose continue play in the UNO Classic against the host New Orleans Privateers on Thanksgiving Day at 2 p.m.