Spartanburg, SC – Faced with a double digit first half deficit, Wofford men's basketball once again clawed its way back and found a way to win and open Southern Conference play with an 87-85 win in overtime over the VMI Keydets.

A 12-4 run mid-way through the first half gave VMI its first double digit lead of the game at 21-11 and peaked the Keydet lead at 14 when VMI's DJ Nussbaum converted a second chance layup to lead 29-15 at the 4:48 mark.

Junior Corey Tripp was instrumental to the 18-8 Wofford response to close the half, in which the junior scored seven of the Terriers' last nine points.
Out of the break, Tripp handed the reigns off to junior Jackson Sivills and sophomores Chase Martin and Chase Cormier, who unleashed a quick barrage of triples to claw back a 52-51 Wofford lead- its first lead since 5-3 back at the 16:22 mark of the first half.

A back-and-forth affair ensued that ultimately led the game to overtime, where Tripp once again resumed the scoring mantle and put up eight points in the extra frame, including the game-winning layup with four seconds remaining. Tripp's eight points in the extra frame meant the junior finished the contest with a new career high of 28 points as well as a new career high in both free throws made and attempted (9-for-10).

With the win, Wofford moves to 8-6 and 1-0 in conference play heading into a showdown with Western Carolina on Saturday, January 6, in Cullowhee, North Carolina- a 2-0 series least season that was decided by nine total points and two overtimes in the Catamounts' favor. Tip off from the Ramsey Center is slated for 4 PM on ESPN+.

Other Notes of Interest

• VMI leading rebounder Taeshaud Jackson II was held under seven rebounds for just the third time this season.
• Junior Kyler Filewich's 17 boards meanwhile gave him a team high on the boards for the fifth time in six games and raised his season average to 9.9 rebounds per game.
• Filewich has only twice this season failed to grab eight or more rebounds when playing twenty or more minutes, both instances coming against non-D-I competition.
• 14-for-22 from the free throw line are both team highs since shooting 22-for-30 against UNC Asheville back on November 25, 2023.
• The overtime victory is the first time Wofford has won two overtime games in the same season since the 2018-19 season and the first consecutive overtime victories since Feb. 7, 2019, and Jan. 4, 2020.
• Wofford is now outscoring opponents by 81 in the second half this season.