RADFORD GIVES WEST VIRGINIA ALL IT CAN HANDLE, MOUNTAINEERS PREVAIL

BOX SCORE MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Radford displayed a valiant effort, but West Virginia used a late rally in the second half to win a tightly contested battle, 72-62, in nonconference men's basketball action Saturday evening inside WVU Coliseum.

“Against a talented squad like West Virginia, we had to come out as the aggressors,” commented head coach Mike Jones. “I am very pleased with the effort of this group and the execution of our game plan.”

Javonte Green dropped in a team-high 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting to go along with a game-high 10 rebounds to pace the Highlanders (5-7). Blake Smith notched 13 points at a 5-of-9 rate from the court, while Rashun Davis finished with seven points and a season-high seven assists.

Aaric Murray knocked down 8-of-16 from the hardwood on his way to a game-high 23 points to lead the Mountaineers (6-5).

The Highlanders held the edge in shooting (45.8 percent) compared to West Virginia's 41.7-percent efficiency. The hosts held a slight edge in rebounding (34-31), but perhaps the most staggering number is their 35 trips to the charity stripe. The Mountaineers made good use of those trips too, converting 25-of-35, compared to Radford's 11-of-16 mark.

Radford buried three of its first four shots from the floor, including four points from Javonte Green, to build an early 7-2 advantage just over three minutes into the game. A Deniz Kilicli layup sparked five-straight points for the Mountaineers to knot the score at 7.

Over the next 11 minutes Radford was tied or held the lead against the Big XII newcomers. Aaric Murray's jumper at the 4:26 mark finally pushed WVU in front, 19-17. After trading buckets in the waning minutes of the first stanza, the hosts went into break with the 31-27 edge.

The Highlanders connected on 11-of-24 (45.8 percent) from the hardwood compared to a 41.7-percent clip from their counterparts. Green led all scorers at the break with 10, while Blake Smith was right behind with nine.

After a pair of Jabarie Hinds free throws at the 16:58 mark, the Mountaineers extended their advantage to 37-29. On the Highlanders' ensuing possession, Rashun Davis converted an and-one to ignite an 11-2 surge that propelled RU in front 40-39 with just under 15:00 minutes to go.

Kion Brown's hoop at the 9:10 mark gave the Highlanders the 49-48 edge, but WVU mounted a 9-0 run to reclaim the lead at 57-49. The game-changing rally proved to be the difference as the Mountaineers fended off each RU comeback down the stretch.

Radford breaks for the Christmas holiday now before returning to the court on Saturday, Dec. 29 for a home contest vs. Central Penn. Tip is set for 2:00 p.m. at the Dedmon Center.

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