BOX SCORE

RADFORD, Va. – Radford used a 30-2 first half run and seniors Kaylyn Crosier and Ciara Hayes each scored 12 points as the Highlanders cruised to 71-39 victory over Southern Virginia on Thursday evening from the Dedmon Center.

Hayes, who recorded career highs in points, rebounds (8) and field goals (6), was perfect from the field and just one make shy of the school record. Crosier added a career-best five steals, all in the first half, and matched a career-high with three assists.

POST-GAME COMMENTS: Head coach Tajama Abraham Ngongba

For the contest, Radford registered 25 steals, forced 35 turnovers and scored 35 points off those miscues. Da'Naria Erwin Spencer recorded seven of those thefts, a new career mark, and also chipped in with 10 points.

After a sluggish start, Radford found its groove by using that 30-2 run to erase a one-point deficit and cruise into the lockerroom with a 38-16 lead. The Highlanders forced 22 turnovers, scored 25 points off those miscues and recorded 17 steals. Led by a perfect 4-for-4 performance from Hayes, Radford shot 55 percent for the half.

The teams would trade buckets over the first seven minutes before the decisive game-changing run by Radford. During that run, the Highlanders forced 16 miscues, held the Knights to just one field goal (1-10) and shot 71 percent (12-17).

The Highlanders pushed their lead to 31 (47-16) 3:34 into the second half after Brooke McElroy drained a pair of charity tosses.

Radford withstood a 17-2 Southern Virginia spurt over a 4:13 span that cut the Highlanders' lead to 49-33 at the 12:04 mark, before closing out the Knights with a 19-2 run over the final 6:57 and cruising to the 32-point win.

The Highlanders shot a season-high 52 percent (27-52) from the field and 60 percent (6-10) from 3-point land, but struggled from the line (11-22) and turned the ball over 21 times. However, those miscues did not turn out to hurt as SVU only scored nine points off of them.

Radford held Southern Virginia to 35 percent from the floor and out rebounded the Knights, 32-28.

Nicole Tolman led the Knights with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Radford hits the road on Saturday for a 2 p.m. contest at UNC Greensboro.