The  Virginia Wesleyan University men's basketball team (1-0) opened the 2025–26 season with a hard-fought 87-84 victory over Keene State on Friday evening at TowneBank Arena.

Omari DeVeaux led the Marlins with 25 points, shooting 9-for-18 from the field and 6-for-7 from the free throw line, while adding six rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Amari Moorer was efficient inside, scoring 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting and grabbing four rebounds. Khai Seargeant provided a spark off the bench with 12 points, going 3-for-3 from the field, 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

The first half was tightly contested, with both teams trading baskets and neither leading by more than a few points. Tied at 8-8, the Owls went on a 7-0 run to take a 15-18 lead at the 13:10 mark. Virginia Wesleyan fought back and responded with a 9-0 run to retake the lead at 17-15 midway through the half. Keene State chipped away at the VWU lead and went on to tie the game at 24-24, but the Marlins countered with a 5-0 run to lead 29-24 with 6:01 left in the half. Over the last six minutes, Keene State outscored the Marlins 15-9 to hold a narrow 39-38 advantage at halftime. 

Coming out of the break, the Owls came out and went on a 5-0 run to lead the Marlins 44-38. Virginia Wesleyan fought back with a 7-3 run to cut the lead to 47-45. The two teams traded points until Keene State went on a 6-2 run to lead 57-51. The Marlins kicked it into gear and went on a 14-2 run to take a 65-59 lead with 12:16 left in the game. VWU went on to increase their lead to 72-63 midway through the second half. The Marlins held off the Owls and held an 85-76 lead at the 2:30 mark, but the Owls went on an 8-0 run to cut the lead to 85-84 with eight seconds on the clock. However, clutch free throws by Khai Seargeant put the game away to give the Marlins the 87-84 win.

Virginia Wesleyan advances to the TowneBank Tip-Off Final on Saturday, November 8, at 4:00 PM.