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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Brandon Holcomb
RUHighlanderPhotos.com
68
Winner Radford RAD 5-3
66
Virginia Tech VT 4-4
Winner
Radford RAD
5-3
68
Final
66
Virginia Tech VT
4-4
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Radford RAD 39 29 68
Virginia Tech VT 30 36 66

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

RADFORD TAKES DOWN HOKIES IN WILD FINISH AT CASSELL, 68-66

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Photo Gallery • BLACKSBURG, Va. - Radford (5-3) rallied for the game's final eight points and then got back-to-back blocked shots by Brandon Holcomb and Javonte Green on potential game-winning three-pointers by Virginia Tech (4-4) as RU scored its first-ever win over an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent, 68-66, Sunday at Cassell Coliseum. R.J. Price scored a season-high 25 points, including the go-ahead basket with 27 seconds remaining.

The Highlanders led by as many as 11 points seconds into the last half after shooting 55.6 percent overall and 58.3 from behind the arc to build a 39-30 lead at intermission. Price's first bucket of the second half gave RU a 41-30 lead with 19:36 to play. RU hit seven shots from behind deep in the first 20 minutes, including 4-8 from Price and 3-3 from YaYa Anderson.

Virginia Tech chipped away at that double-digit lead behind double-figure scoring from four Hokies. Adam Smith's, who led the hosts with 12 points, gave Tech its first lead since the 16:44 mark of the first half with a trey with 6:21 to play. The Hokies would push the lead to as many as six and held a 66-60 advantage with 2:03 remaining.

A dunk by Holcomb to equal his career high of 14 points on the afternoon cut the lead to 66-62. And Justin Bibbs failed on the front end of a free throw to give RU the ball back. The Highlanders responded when Rashun Davis cut the lead to 66-65 with his only three-pointer of the game. He finished with five points and tied a career high with eight assists.

The Highlanders called a timeout and instead of fouling to send Tech to the line, Radford head coach Mike Jones chose to press the Hokies and the defense came through. With the 10-second backcourt count looming, Tech's Devin Wilson turned the ball over, and Price answered in transition to give RU the lead for good. Smith missed a jumper, and Green rebounded and hit a free throw to push the lead to two with :17 to play.

Jalen Hudson's three-pointer to win it was blocked by Holcomb, but the Hokies kept possession with :08 remaining. Bibbs took the final game-winning attempt from the corner, but Green got a piece of it, and Anderson's dive to the floor kept the ball in-bounds and the clock ticking to expiration to secure one of the biggest victories in Radford basketball history.

"I thought our effort was extraordinary for 40 minutes," Jones said of his team's second all-time win over their New River rivals. "When they got momentum we still played really hard. We had some incredible multiple effort plays, including the last play with a blocked shot and guys getting on the floor to keep the ball in-bounds as time ran out. That play epitomized the game as a whole."

Entering the game, Radford was 0-24 all-time against the ACC. RU's earlier win over Tech came in 1999 when the Hokies were a member of the Atlantic-10.

Green's 10-rebound effort moved him to within eight of the Radford career record of 845 held by Chris Oliver (2003-07). With one steal, he also moved to within four of equaling the career mark of 192 by Rod Cousin (1984-88). He is also just 14 points shy (1,486) of becoming the fifth Highlander with 1,500 career points.

Price moved into the Radford top 10 in all-time scoring with his 25 points. With 1,330 in his career, he now stands alone in ninth place all-time.
 
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