BOX SCORE

RADFORD, Va. – Radford had three players net double figures and held the Big South's leading scorer Katie Tull to just nine points in a 60-56 victory over Charleston Southern, Monday evening from the Dedmon Center.

The Highlanders (9-11, 6-1 Big South) are off to their best conference start since 1997-98.

Victoria Hamilton netted a season-high 14 points, including 2 in the second half, for the first-place Highlanders.

Da'Naria Erwin Spencer led all scorers with 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting, scoring 16 in the first half.

POST-GAME: Tajama Abraham Ngongba

Radford's defensive effort that held Tull to 4-of-11 shooting, forced the Buccaneers (9-11, 3-4) into 22 turnovers leading to 29 points.

Lakeitha Alston paced three Buccaneers in double figures with 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Kelsey Wasmer recorded 10 points and a game-high eight rebounds.

In a first half of runs, Radford's 22-4 outburst was the difference in a 30-26 halftime advantage. Erwin Spencer was 8-of-10 from the field to key the Highlanders.

CSU, which shot 44 percent from the floor in the first, raced out to an early 9-2 lead in the first 3:48. Following a 30-second timeout, Radford answered with its run, keyed by a pair of Ashley Buckhannon 3-pointers and 10 points from Erwin Spencer to grab its largest lead of the game, 24-13. The Highlanders held the Buccaneers scoreless for 5:25 during the run.

Buckhannon recorded a season-high 12 points off the bench for Radford.

CSU fought back using a pair of threes by Helen Terry and Shay Jones to highlight a 13-4 run and get within 28-26 before a late steal and bucket by Radford made it 30-26 at the break. Jones finished with 11 points and six rebounds.

Hamilton came out on fire in the second half, scoring the first six points to extend the Highlanders' lead to 36-26.

Radford fended off two comeback attempts by CSU midway through the second half to hold on for the win.

Charleston Southern whittled Radford's lead to 42-39 on five straight points from Tull with just under 11 minutes to play, but Buckhannon converted a three-point play 17 seconds later and the Highlanders pushed their lead back to eight (49-41).  Then, Helen Terry tallied four straight points and Wasmer drained two free throws for the Buccaneers to make it a 49-47 contest with 7:04 remaining. However, after each team traded turnovers, Brooke McElroy scored off of the CSU miscue and Radford's 9-2 run put the game away.

The Highlanders edged the Buccaneers on the glass, 34-40, led by Hamilton and Kahealani Vick with six apiece.

Radford continues its three-game homestand on Saturday, Feb. 29 hosting Coastal Carolina at 3 p.m. as part of the University's homecoming festivities.