BOX SCORE

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Radford received a game-high 24 points from Da'Naria Erwin Spencer , but a cold-shooting night doomed the Highlanders as they fell 65-55 at Winthrop in Big South women's basketball action from the Winthrop Coliseum.

The Highlanders (6-11, 3-1 Big South) had their three-game winning streak snapped and drop a half-game behind their next opponent, Liberty, for first place.

In netting her second straight 24-point performance, Erwin Spencer matched her career-best for the third time. She was 9-for-20 from the floor and also had four rebounds, four assists and four steals.

Radford struggled the entire night, shooting just 27 percent (17-for-63). After Erwin Spencer, the rest of the squad was 8-for-43 from the field. Ashley Buckhannon chipped in with eight points.

The Eagles (8-7, 2-1) shot 43.4 percent, including a blistering 58 percent in the second half, which was the difference in the game.

Dequesha McClanahan led Winthrop with 21 points on 6-for-13 shooting. Kaitlyn Rubino added 13 points and a game-best nine rebounds for the Eagles.

In the second half, Winthrop erased its one-point deficit opening with a 9-2 run and never trailed the rest of the game.

The Highlanders evened the score at 40-40 with seven straight points, capped off by a Buckhannon 3-pointer. However, Winthrop's TaQuoia Hammick answered with two straight buckets that ignited an 11-3 run and gave the Eagles the lead for good.

Radford cut the lead to five twice in the final minutes and had a chance to get within three, but a pair of free throws went awry and Winthrop held on for the victory.

Each team pulled down 40 rebounds with Kahealani Vick pacing Radford with six. She also added two blocks.

Radford took a 28-27 lead into halftime in a battle of the 22s. Erwin Spencer and McClanahan each tallied 15 points in the first half.

Erwin Spencer was 5-for-8 from the field and 4-for-4 from the line where the Highlanders were a perfect 10-for-10 in the half and finished the contest 16-for-20 (80 percent). McClanahan was 8-for-8 from the charity stripe and 3-for-7 from the field.

In a half that featured seven ties and six lead changes, Winthrop, which shot just 29.6 percent, used a 5-0 spurt to grab its largest lead (21-16) of the half.  Radford also struggled shooting in the period, hitting just 31 percent.

Radford remains on the road Monday night at Liberty. Tip time is set for 7 p.m.