Stan Okoye scored 16 points and made two clutch free throws with 19 seconds left to help Virginia Military Institute beat Radford 55-53 on Monday night in the first round of the Big South tournament.
The Keydets (15-15) scored the game's first six points and led the entire way. Radford was able to make it close late, pulling within one, 52-51, when Johnathan Edwards made a free throw with 1:19 to play.
Edwards missed his second foul shot, and after the Highlanders got back possession, they turned it over, leading to Okoye's foul shots. Ron Burks followed with a free throw with 9 seconds left to seal it for VMI.
The seventh-seeded Keydets will face the No. 2 seed, Coastal Carolina, on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.
R.J. Price, who hit a jumper for the final margin with 1 second to go, led 10th-seeded Radford (6-26) with 17 points.
