WEST POINT, N.Y. – Led by a game-high 25 points from sophomore guard QJ Peterson, archrival VMI snatched a 66-65 victory over The Citadel on Friday night in the opening round of the All-Military Classic.

Trailing 65-63 with 34 seconds remaining, VMI was awarded possession following an official review on a turnover by Quinton Marshall. The Keydets took advantage of the call when Peterson found Trey Chapman for a 3-pointer that gave VMI the one-point lead.

The Citadel had an opportunity to win the game, but Ashton Moore missed a jumper as time expired. The victory allowed VMI to collect consecutive wins over The Citadel for the first time since it rattle off four-straight from 2000-02 as a member of the Southern Conference.

Moore was a vital part of The Citadel's offense as he poured in a team-high 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor. He was joined in double figures by P.J. Horgan (14), Marshall (12) and Brian White (10).

The Bulldogs were led in rebounding by Horgan, who pulled down six boards, and in assists by Warren Sledge who tied Peterson for game-high honors with five.

The Citadel managed to knock down 23-of-42 (54.8%) from the floor, including a pair of 3-pointers, and was successful on 17-of-22 (77.3%) attempts at the charity stripe.

The biggest chunk of VMI's offensive attack came through Peterson, who knocked down 10-of-23 from the field and 3-of-11 from beyond the arc. Senior Brian Brown also topped the double-digit mark for the Keydets, registering 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor. Brown led the way for VMI with four treys.

Trailing 51-44 just beyond the midpoint of the second half the Bulldogs turned to Moore who singlehandedly scored the team's next 13 points as they assumed a slim 57-56 advantage with 6:11 remaining.

A 3-pointer by Jordan Weethee gave VMI forged VMI back in front, 60-57, but the lead quickly evaporated when C.J. Bray converted a trey to deadlock the game at 60-all with just under four minutes left.

The Citadel stretched its lead to three following a series of free throws by Horgan and Moore, before VMI countered with a 3-pointer off the hand of Brown to force the seventh and final tie.

The Citadel took a six-point lead into the half after hitting 16-of-25 (64%) from the floor. It marked the first time since a meeting with Samford on Jan. 7, 2012, that the Bulldogs enjoyed such a successively shooting performance in an opening frame.

Clinging to a one-point lead at the 10:18 mark of the first half, The Citadel used a 14-4 run highlighted by six points from White to assume a 34-23 advantage.

During that stretch the Bulldogs held Peterson, who finished the opening frame with 18 points, to just one bucket, and added four points each by Marshall and Horgan to take its biggest lead of the game.

The Bulldogs now take on Air Force, who suffered an 84-78 loss to Army in the second game of the evening, in the consolation game of the All-Military Classic on Saturday afternoon at 5:30. The game can be heard on Charleston Sports Radio 1450.