RADFORD AND BLUE HOSE SET TO BATTLE THURSDAY IN DEDMON

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RADFORD, Va. – Perhaps the biggest surprise in the Big South this season is Presbyterian College, which is tied for second place with Winthrop at 12-4 in league play. However, the Highlanders will be looking for the season sweep when the Blue Hose come to town Thursday at 7:00 p.m. inside the Dedmon Center.

MEET THE BLUE HOSE

♦ Only allowing 56.5 points per game, PC ranks second in the Big South. The squad knocks down 42.7 percent of its shots, which is also second-best in the league.
♦ The Blue Hose are sharp from behind the arc, carrying a 37.2 percent rate from long range (tops in Big South).
♦ Offensively, PC averages 54.2 points an outing (10th-best in league), while hauling in 33.2 caroms a game (ranks 11th in Big South).
♦ Mariah Pietrowski averages 11.3 points per contest (tied for 13th in league scoring) to lead her squad in the scoring column. Karlee Taylor and Dria David each chip in 10.9 points an outing (16th in league scoring).
♦ Pietrowski leads the rebounding effort at 5.8 caroms each time out, while ranking second in field-goal percentage (55.8) and first in free-throw percentage (85.7).
♦ Karlee Taylor leads the league in 3-point percentage (47.4) and is second in 3-pointers made a game (2.81).

HIGHLANDER HAPPENINGS

♦ Radford is led by Ashley Buckhannon in the scoring column at 12.9 per contest (10th-best in conference), while Victoria Hamilton crashes the boards for a team-best 8.2 rebounds per outing (ranks sixth in the league). Buckhannon (2.64) and Hamilton (2.12) rank second and ninth, respectively, in the Big South in steals. Buckhannon became the 20th member of Radford women's basketball's 1,000-point club against Campbell on Feb. 7.
♦ Jordynn Gaymon has the ninth-best average in the blocks department of the Big South at 1.14 rejections a contest.
♦ At 10.92 steals per game, Radford ranks second in the league, while ranking third in turnover margin (+2.16).

SERIES HISTORY

♦ Radford has dominated the all-time series with PC, leading 11-1. The Highlanders have never lost to the Blue Hose inside the Dedmon Center (6-0). In the previous encounter, Big South-leading PC was upset by Radford, 49-31.

WHAT'S NEXT

♦ The Highlanders conclude their regular season with Senior Day against Gardner-Webb on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. inside the Dedmon Center. Radford and the Runnin' Bulldogs went into overtime in their earlier matchup this season, a 72-69 Highlander victory in Boiling Springs.

LAST TIME OUT

♦ Despite receiving a combined 37 points from Ashley Buckhannon and Da'Naria Erwin Spencer, Radford could not hold on to its lead down the stretch as Winthrop stole a 67-62 victory Saturday afternoon in Big South women's basketball action inside Winthrop Coliseum.
♦ Behind four early 3-pointers, Radford jumped out to a 15-9 advantage. The Eagles rallied, however, to reclaim the lead (24-23) after a Taylor Calvert fast-break deuce with 7:04 to go before halftime. Their lead increased to as many as five (30-25) before Winthrop carried a 32-30 edge into break.
♦ Erwin Spencer reached double figures in the opening half of action with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, while Buckhannon was right behind with eight. Both guards dialed in two trifectas for Radford, which shot 44.4 percent for the half.
♦ Scoring the first five points of the second stanza, Winthrop quickly grabbed a 37-30 lead less than a minute in. The hosts increased their favor to as many as nine (48-39) before the Highlanders made their move.
♦ Jordynn Gaymon connected on a jumper in the paint at the 10:31 mark to initiate a 16-4 surge, capped by a Buckhannon trey, to give Radford the 55-52 lead. However, the lead would not hold as the Eagles rallied in the late stages of the game to pull off the come-from-behind win.
♦ Buckhannon and Erwin Spencer dropped in 19 and 18 points, respectively, to lead RU in the scoring column. Buckhannon moved into 15th place on the all-time career-scoring chart with 1,081 points, passing Nan Milner and Karen Bowles. Hamilton pulled down a team-best seven boards to claim sole possession of eighth place in career rebounding at Radford with 620 caroms.
♦ The Big South's leading scorer, Dequesha McClanahan, chalked up a game-high 22 points in addition to a game-high six assists. Freshman Schaquilla Nunn recorded her 12th double-double of the season by dialing up 17 points and 11 rebounds.
♦ Finishing with one of its better shooting performances of the season, Radford shot 43.3 percent from the hardwood. Winthrop hit 25-of-57 for a 43.9 percent rating. The Eagles grabbed the rebounding edge (35-32) and points scored in the paint (38-24).
♦ RU connected on seven 3-pointers in the game, the most since the squad hit nine against Norfolk State on Dec. 13. The Highlanders' defense kept them in it, however, forcing 10 steals which led to a 17-9 advantage in points off turnovers.

LAST MEETING WITH PC

♦ Presbyterian College entered the Jan. 12 matchup second in the Big South in scoring defense, but it was Radford's defense rising to the occasion as the Highlanders handed PC its first setback in league play, 49-31, inside the Templeton Center.
♦ Victoria Hamilton notched a season-high 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting to spearhead the Highlanders' offensive attack. The senior from the U.S. Virgin Islands narrowly missed a double-double, pulling down a game-high nine rebounds. Ashley Buckhannon dished out a game-high four assists and was credited with a career-high-tying six steals.
♦ Connecting on 10-of-11 from the charity stripe, Mariah Pietrowski chalked up 10 points for the Blue Hose. She also hauled in a team-best five boards.
♦ Using stifling defense, the Highlanders held PC to 21.1 percent (8-of-38) shooting for the game. It marked the lowest percentage by a Radford opponent under Ngongba's watch. The 31 points were the fewest allowed by the Highlanders since a 53-29 win over PC last season inside the Dedmon Center.
♦ Kasey Hobbie cut the hosts' deficit to 25-24 following her deuce at the 14:48 mark. Ayana Avery buried the Highlanders' first and only 3-pointer of the evening on the ensuing possession to ignite a 16-4 streak to up RU's advantage to 41-28 with 7:31 to go.
♦ Kiera McIvor converted a fast-break layup to give Radford its largest margin of 18 (49-31), which ended up being the final tally. With the victory, RU improved to 11-1 all-time against the Blue Hose and snapped PC's five-game win streak, which was tied for the longest in the Big South entering the day.

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