RADFORD, Va. -- Radford starts a new season when it heads to Boiling Springs, N.C. for its Big South opener at red hot Gardner-Webb on Monday, Jan. 4 at 7 p.m.

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The Highlanders are ending a six-game road swing when they face the Bulldogs, who have won five straight and 12 of 13, at Paul Porter Arena. Radford is also looking to snap a five-game slide after dropping its final non-conference contest at Marshall on New Year's Eve.

Despite a game-high 23 points from redshirt senior Kymesha Alston (Hampton, Va./Manhattan) Radford fell short in its last contest at Marshall, 70-66, at the Cam Henderson Center. Alston tied a career-high with her 23 points, going 6-of-14 from the field and 11-for-14 from the charity stripe. She also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds and recorded a career-best five of Radford's 14 steals.

As Radford begins its 24th year of Big South play, it has been successful in conference openers by posting a 17-6 record. The Highlanders have won their last five openers after defeating the Bulldogs, 82-74 on Jan. 5 in Peters Hall.

This will be the sixth opener on the road and third in the last four years. Radford is 4-1 on the road winning its last two at Coastal Carolina, 71-54 (Jan. 19, 2007) and Charleston Southern, 77-53 (Jan. 13, 2006).

Radford and Gardner-Webb meet for the sixth time with the Bulldogs holding a slim 3-2 lead in the series after taking two of three matchups in 2008-09.

Radford is 1-1 at Paul Porter Arena, falling in last season's game, 55-53 on Feb. 7, 2009. The Highlanders' victory was an 89-63 triumph on Dec. 21, 2003. In the other two meetings last season, Radford won its conference opener, 82-74 on Jan. 5, while GWU earned a 60-50 win in the first round of the 2009 Big South Tournament.

Gardner-Webb is off to a 12-2 start after winning its Big South opener, 70-65, over Liberty on Saturday. The Bulldogs have won 11 of 12 which includes a road win at Purdue on Dec. 21.

Four Bulldogs are in double figures, led by Margaret Roundtree who is averaging 11.8 points per contest. GWU is getting it done from long range, hitting 40 percent of its three-point attempts. Dominique Hudson is a blistering 14-for-30 (.467) and Courtney Epps is also above 40 percent, hitting 23-of-54 attempts (42.6)

Radford returns to the friendly confines of the Dedmon Center on Saturday, Jan. 9 at 3 p.m. against High Point. This begins a four-game home stand, the Highlanders' longest of the season.