ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The No. 6 Wofford men's basketball team (18-15, 10-8) defeated the No. 7 VMI Keydets (15-19, 7-11) 85-65 on Sunday night in the Southern Conference Semifinals at Harrah's Cherokee Center. The Terriers will take on No. 5 Furman in the SoCon Championship at 7:00 p.m. on Monday night. The game can be broadcast live on ESPN.
 
"We played a really clean game tonight," said head coach Dwight Perry. "Credit goes to our guys for executing the game plan. Overall, we did a great job of playing with the intensity and focus we needed to on both ends. We set the tone early and that level stayed where it needed to be throughout the game."
 
Wofford finished the night shooting 48.4 percent (30-62) from the field and knocked down 12 threes at a 41.4 percent clip. VMI shot 45.5 percent (20-44) and made six three-pointers. The Terriers totaled 13 assists on 30 made baskets. Kyler Filewich led the team with three helpers.
 
Four Terriers finished in double-digits, with Corey Tripp scoring a SoCon Tournament career-high 20 points. Tripp shot 7-of-11 from the field and knocked down four threes. Dillon Bailey followed behind at 14 points along with 13 from Kyler Filewich. Justin Bailey rounded out the group with 10 points.
 
The Wofford bench played a pivotal role in the win, scoring 19 points compared to two from VMI. Luke Flynn led the attack off the bench with eight points. Jeremy Lorenz scored six while Kahmare Holmes added five points.
 
The Terriers took the edge on the glass against the Keydets, outrebounding them 33-30. The team grabbed 14 offensive rebounds that resulted in 12 second chance points. Kyler Filewich totaled eight rebounds to lead the team while Jackson Sivills grabbed six. Wofford also totaled 34 points in the paint compared to 26 from VMI.
 
Wofford only committed two turnovers on the night – a season low and the lowest amount in the Division I era for the team. The Terriers forced VMI into 13 turnovers, eight of which turned into steals. Corey Tripp totaled two to lead the team. Wofford finished with 11 points out of the 13 Keydet turnovers.
 
Kyler Filewich got the scoring started for Wofford after the senior put in a nice layup. VMI responded with a pair of free throws, but Justin Bailey and Filewich added two more baskets to give Wofford an early 6-2 lead. The teams battled over the next several minutes as the Keydets kept the deficit within two possessions.
 
The Terriers found a separation after the team rattled off seven unanswered points to give Wofford a 28-18 lead with 10:03 remaining in the first stanza. Those seven points were just the beginning of a 16-3 run that lasted until the 5:47 mark. A three-pointer from Corey Tripp would allow Wofford to enter the break leading 44-29.
 
Wofford's first half defense played a huge role in the double-digit lead at halftime. The team held VMI to just seven field goals on 35 percent shooting during the opening half. The Terriers also forced seven turnovers in the first frame.
 
"We came out here focused and gave them a big punch in the first 10 minutes," said Jackson Sivills. "We just the rode the wave throughout the rest of the game. I think taking care of the ball, especially in do or die games, that's very, very important."
 
VMI opened the second half with a pair of shots from the charity stripe, but Justin Bailey scored five-straight points in return. The Terriers would get the lead all the way out to 22 points, 57-35, behind a Kahmare Holmes scoop and score. Wofford found its biggest lead of the game, 68-43, with 8:26 left in the contest.
 
The Terriers kept VMI at bay for the remainder of the game, defeating the Keydets 85-65 and earning a trip to the SoCon Championship against No. 5 Furman. Wofford is now 4-0 against VMI in the SoCon Tournament all-time.
 
"We have got to make it a basketball game," said associate head coach Will Murphy on the matchup against Furman in the SoCon Championship. "We can't ride the wave. We hope to have a ton of fans out here, but for us, it's got to be about the guys within the program and making smart basketball decisions. We have to play really hard, really tough, and do it together."
 
The team will face No. 5 Furman for the SoCon Tournament Championship on Monday, March 10, at 7:00 p.m. The Terriers are 2-0 against Furman in the SoCon Tournament, including a 67-64 win in the championship during the 2014-15 season. The game can be broadcast live on ESPN.