ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The No. 22 Wofford Terriers dominated eighth-seeded VMI 99-72 on Saturday afternoon, advancing to the Southern Conference semifinals on Sunday.
Wofford, which has now won 18 games in a row, improves to 27-4 on the season and awaits the winner of No. 4 ETSU and No. 5 Chattanooga for a semifinals matchup on Sunday at 4 p.m.
Nathan Hoover, who scored 14 points in the second half, led the Terriers with 17 points as six players scored in double figures for the first time since December 6, 2016 (UVA Wise). Cameron Jackson, who led the team with eight rebounds, scored 11 while dishing two assists. As a team, Wofford shot 56.3 percent from the floor, dishing out 20 assists while totaling six blocks and six steals.
"We've got a lot of guys that can really shoot it and we've got bigs with great hands and great feet that do so much for us. I'm happy to win and happy to be coming back here tomorrow at 4 p.m."
It was all Terriers from the tip, jumping out to a 10-0 lead after buckets from four of the five starters. After VMI got on the board, Magee knocked down his first jumper of the game as Wofford took a 16-4 lead into the first media timeout.
The second unit came on and made its impact immediately, as Tray Hollowell knifed his way through the lane to put Wofford up by 13. A few possessions later, Hollowell drained an NBA-range 3-pointer to make the score 27-12. Chevez Goodwin began to do damage, throwing down a dunk and scoring through contact as the Terriers held a commanding 31-14 lead.
"We talk about 1-A and 1-B," said Young. "I think I've got 11 starters on this team and this second unit just keeps doing it. There's an electricity about them that really raises our level of play."
"It's my mentality really," Goodwin said. "I don't let anyone stop me from getting the rebounds. Just like my coaches say, just play hard and nobody can stop and I believe that."
With Wofford up by 22, the Keydets mounted a furious rally, scoring 17 of the next 20 points to cut the deficit to just eight. As time winded down in the first half, Magee created space and knocked down his first 3-pointer of the game to push the lead to 11 at the break (48-37).
The Terriers dominated down low in the opening minutes of the second, pushing its lead back to 21 after Keve Aluma, Goodwin and Hoover all finished at the rim. The transition game was clicking for Wofford as Hollowell and Ryan Larson fed their teammates on the break, capped off by a Goodwin slam that made it 71-50.
"Over the last six weeks to two months, Chevez has been such a pivotal player for us," Young said. "He grabs a couple of rebounds every game that just make you shake your head. I love seeing him out there in the black and gold."
Hoover would get rolling, draining the 200th 3-pointer of his career to extend the lead to 24. The junior remained hot down the stretch, icing the game with 14 second-half points as Wofford cruised to the 27-point victory.
"We know that everyone is out to get us, but we have so much faith in each other," said Hoover. "We know everyone is going to give us their best shot, but we're ready for everybody."
