WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HANGS ON FOR 55-53 VICTORY OVER GARDNER-WEBB

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RADFORD, Va. – Radford led by as many as 14 in the second half and needed every bit of that margin to hold on down the stretch as the Highlanders edged Gardner-Webb, 55-53, in Big South women's basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Dedmon Center.

Kermisha Clark's put-back jumper just three minutes into the final frame gave Radford (6-18, 4-11 Big South) its largest lead of the game at 40-26. From there, the Runnin' Bulldogs (13-10, 8-6 Big South) clamped down defensively, which allowed them to chip away at their deficit.

Breshara Gordon's pull-up jumper in the lane with 6:15 to go was the Highlanders' final made field goal of the game. At that point, Radford's advantage was seven (51-44). Nearly two minutes later, Aisha Foy, who finished 8-for-9 at the charity stripe, converted her seventh and eighth free throws of the afternoon to push the Highlanders' advantage to 55-48.

Gardner-Webb, which scored five straight points to make it a one-possession game with 1:32 showing on the clock, forced a turnover to regain control of the ball. On the Runnin' Bulldogs' ensuing play, Catrina Green was in great scoring position when she attempted the game-tying shot, but Rachael Ross delivered the biggest block of her career to deny Green the basket.

RU missed a pair of free throws in the waning seconds, which gave Gardner-Webb two more chances to tie or take the lead. However, both were off the mark and rebounded by the Highlanders.

"Our team showed a lot of heart and toughness today against an athletic, talented team," commented head coach Mike McGuire. "I thought our first half might have been the most complete half of the season on both ends of the floor. In the second half, we found a way to hang on down the stretch. We made some hustle plays that were crucial for us to keep control of the ball. This is a good win for our team!"

For the third time in the past four games, Radford had four players reach double-figure scoring. Ayana Avery led the way with 15 points on 6-for-15 shooting. Ross finished with 14 points, including 12 before halftime, to go along with her game-high three blocks. Foy and Gordon contributed 10 points apiece, while Kiera McIvor gathered a career-high 14 rebounds.

By shooting 29 percent, Gardner-Webb became the Highlanders' second opponent in the last three contests to hit under 30 percent from the hardwood. Fueling the comeback by the Runnin' Bulldogs was Green, who recorded her 12^th double-double of the season with a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds. Jessica Heilig tallied 13 points in 18 minutes of action.

Radford was in rhythm during the opening 20 minutes, hitting 59.3 percent of its shots en route to a 38-26 favor at the break. In addition to Avery and Ross reaching double-figure scoring, RU assisted on nine of its 16 made field goals.

The Highlanders begin a three-game road stretch in Asheville, N.C. next Thursday against the Bulldogs of UNC Asheville. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Kimmel Arena.

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