ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, January 8, 1996 TAG: 9601080021
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS AND STAFF REPORTS
KEYDETS WIN for first time at Richmond since 1978, 77-65.
Brent Conley pulled down 20 rebounds and scored 15 points to lead VMI to a 77-65 victory over Richmond on Saturday.
The starters for Richmond (4-6) scored only 15 points as VMI (6-3) won on the Spiders' home court for the first time since Feb.8, 1978.
The Keydets never trailed, but Richmond rallied to tie the score 36-36 at intermission.
The teams traded field goals to start the second half, then VMI scored five straight points on a jumper by Jason Bell and a 3-point field goal by Lawrence Gullette.
Richmond pulled within one point before the Keydets' B.J. Grinage sank two free throws to cap a 5-0 spurt that made it 49-43 with 12:37 remaining.
The Spiders closed to within 54-52 on a layup by Rick Edwards with 9:04 left, but the Keydets sprinted ahead again. Conley's jumper at 7:26 gave VMI a six-point lead, and Richmond could get no closer than three points the rest of the way.
``Our team just kept coming back,'' said VMI coach Bart Bellairs. ``They wanted it so bad.
``Last year [Richmond] beat us on the boards badly [61-27], and it seems they could never quite get into their tempo [Saturday]. [Conley] and Lester Johnson seemed to come up with the big rebounds when we needed it.''
Conley paced four Keydets in double figures. Gullette added 15 points, Bell 14 and Johnson 11.
Adam Mobley led Richmond with 22 points. Edwards added 11.
see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Short : 42 lines KEYWORDS: BASKETBALLby CNB