FREE THROWS FUEL WINTHROP’S SECOND-HALF RALLY

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RADFORD, Va. – Winthrop opened the second half on a 17-2 run and was efficient at the free-throw line down the stretch to down Radford, 68-56, in Big South women's basketball action Thursday night at the Dedmon Center.

"This game was a lot closer than the final score indicates," head coach Mike McGuire said. "I saw more progress tonight. I still would like to see more intensity from our team, but we're getting there."

Free throws were a huge part behind the Eagles (11-4, 5-1 Big South) pulling away in the final 20 minutes. Winthrop connected on 16-of-23 from the charity stripe, including 11-of-15 in the final frame. On the other hand, the Highlanders (2-14, 0-7 Big South) finished 2-for-5.

"Winthrop did a great job of attacking inside and drawing fouls," McGuire reflected. "For them to finish 16-for-23 at the line and for us to only go to the line five times…that is a huge gap for us to overcome."

After the Eagles established a 45-30 advantage with 15:10 remaining in the game, Radford gradually chipped into its deficit. A vital cog in the comeback was sophomore center Rachael Ross, who finished with a team-high 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

She scored six straight points during a 16-6 rally to bring the Highlanders within 52-48 at the 6:23 mark. However, Winthrop was able to put an end to the surge behind an 8-for-10 performance at the line in the closing minutes.

Aisha Foy, Ayana Avery, Breshara Gordon and Jordynn Gaymon each contributed eight points for the Highlanders, who shot 41.9 percent (26-62) from the floor. RU took better care of the ball by only committing 13 turnovers, while forcing its opponent into 16 miscues.

Three-time Big South Freshman of the Week Erica Williams chalked up a game-high 16 points to pace the Eagles' offense. She was joined in double figures by Dequesha McClanahan, who had a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds), and Pamela Decheva, who drained four of her seven 3-point attempts en route to 14 points. Winthrop finished at 47.9 percent shooting and earned a 37-30 rebounding edge.

Radford welcomes UNC Asheville to the Dedmon Center for Saturday's 2 p.m. Big South clash. The Highlanders won the two meetings last season, including their last encounter that took place in the quarterfinals of the Big South women's basketball tournament.

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