BOX SCORE

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Playing as a group for the first time this season, Radford's frontcourt trio of Art Parakhouski (Minsk, Belarus), Joey Lynch-Flohr (Fairfax, Va./Fairfax) and Laz Trifunovic (Belgrade, Serbia) combined for 42 points and 31 rebounds as the Highlanders held off Winthrop, 61-59 in overtime, on Thursday evening at the Winthrop Coliseum.

Trailing 43-36 with 9:19 to play, Radford went on a 14-5 run, capped off by back-to-back Trifunovic treys, (50-48) to grab its first lead (50-48) since the 17:26 mark.

After a pair of Amir Johnson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Quaker Valley) free throws put Radford (3-2, 1-0 Big South) up 54-51 with six seconds remaining, Gideon Gamble drilled his only field goal of the contest, a 30-footer as time expired, to send the game into overtime.

In the extra session, the Highlanders' 5-of-6 effort from the charity stripe proved to be the difference as the two teams combined for just three field goals in the frame.

Winners of 10 straight conference road games dating back to last year, Radford (21 of 34) made 13 more free throws than the Eagles (3 of 8) attempted.

Parakhouski, the nation's leading rebounder coming into the conference opener, led all players with 21 points and 14 rebounds for his seventh straight and 22nd career double-double. Playing his first game in a Highlander uniform after having to sit out last year due to transferring and the first four games of 2009-10 because of injury, Trifunovic recorded 11 points and eight rebounds in 41 minutes. Lynch-Flohr, who logged 42 minutes, recorded 10 points and nine rebounds, while making all four of his tries from the line.

“We played a very strong defensive game and showed real grit,” commented Radford head coach Brad Greenberg. “We worked hard at the offensive end and I like the fact that we had balance in the scoring column.”

Radford, which never trailed in the first half, held a 23-17 lead at the break highlighted by 13 points from Parakhouski.

The Highlanders limited the Eagles to just two field goals in the first 13:48 of action while opening up an 11-point advantage, 16-5.

“I thought our defensive effort in the first 15 minutes was fantastic," Greenberg said. "Winthrop made some shots late in the first half and early in the second half, and we had to make adjustments.”

After shooting just 23.5 percent (8 of 34) in the first 20 minutes of action, Winthrop (2-4, 0-1 Big South) hit nine of its first 17 attempts to open the second half and grabbing a 39-33 advantage.

Andre Jones led the Eagles with 16 points, including four of his club's six buckets from long range, while Matt Morgan contributed 15 off the bench on 7-of-10 shooting.

Despite the loss, Winthrop edged the Highlanders on the glass, 49-46.

Both clubs shot under 35 percent from the field and combined to go just 10-of-41 from three-point range.

Radford will continue its longest (five game) road trip of the 2009-10 season Saturday evening at league-foe Presbyterian.