BOX SCORE

RADFORD, Va. – Despite Art Parakhouski (Minsk, Belarus) tying a Dedmon Center record with 39 points, Liberty ended Radford's nine-game winning streak and spoiled its “Senior Night”/Homecoming with a 92-85 victory over the Highlanders in both teams' regular season finale Saturday evening.

It was just Radford's second setback in the last 16 games as the regular season champs fall to 18-11 and 15-3 in the Big South. Liberty, which will enter next week's conference tournament as the third seed improves to 21-10 and 12-6.

Parakhouski, who scored 25 of his season-high after intermission, finished 15-of-19 from the floor and grabbed 19 rebounds to break Radford's single-season rebounding record. It was also Parakhouski's 15th double-double of the campaign and sixth game with at least 15 boards.

“Art was outstanding in establishing himself inside,” said head coach Brad Greenberg. “I thought our guys did an excellent job in getting him the ball, and he was able to finish.”

Radford also got a 23-point performance from senior Kenny Thomas (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) in his home regular season finale, making 6-of-12 shots and four from beyond the arc en route to his third straight outing with at least 20 points.

Seth Curry, who entered as the nation's top-scoring freshman, led Liberty with 25 points, including 18 in the second half.

“We played well at the offensive end, but didn't do a good enough job defensively to win the game,” said Greenberg. “Give them credit: they made a lot of tough shots and got two of their top scorers (Curry, Kyle Ohman) a lot of good looks, despite the fact that we keyed on them.”

Ohman, who spent the second half in foul trouble, knocked down 22 of his 24 points in the first half, hitting on 7-of-8 from the field and 6-of-7 from deep.

In a game that featured 87 total free throws, the Highlanders had 42 chances at the line, and 27 in the second half, but it wasn't enough to make up a 12-point halftime deficit.

Trailing 45-33 at the break, Radford opened the second half outscoring the Flames 8-2 and cut the margin to six at 47-41 on Parakhouski's layup off an Amir Johnson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Quaker Valley) inbounds pass with 16:53 remaining.

The Highlanders went to the line on six of seven scoring possessions midway through the period, but weren't able to overcome a lead that grew to as many as 12 when Curry knocked down a three from the right wing and then a jumper from the left side just inside the arc to extend Liberty's margin to 70-58 at 4:09.

In a back-and-forth first half that featured five lead changes, Ohman put Liberty in control with a trio of three-pointers in nearly a minutes' time, beginning with his first at the 7:59 mark to put the Flames ahead for good, 24-21.

Ohman drilled two more from deep over the next 1:06 to extend Liberty's advantage to nine, 30-21.
Johnson finished with nine points and handed out five assists, moving him into a tie for second all-time at Radford.

The Flames finished the game shooting 50 percent (25-of-50) and 71.1 percent from the line (32-of-45).

“I'm proud of our body of work during our conference schedule,” Greenberg said. “To win 15 games is something no one in this league has done, and that's outstanding for us."

“Now the second season begins.” 

Radford will entertain the eighth-seeded High Point Panthers in the opening round of the 2009 Advance Auto Parts Big South Men's Basketball Tournament Tuesday at 7 p.m. By virtue of its fourth regular season title in school history, Radford will have home court advantage throughout the conference Tournament.