WOMEN’S HOOPS AIMS FOR PROGRAM HISTORY TUESDAY AT WINTHROP

Feb. 17, 2015 :: 7:00 p.m.
Winthrop Coliseum (6,000) :: Rock Hill, S.C.
Video: Big South Network
Radio: Radford Sports Network
Live Stats: Link

RADFORD, Va. – In just head coach Mike McGuire's second season at the helm, Radford women's basketball can achieve something no previous team in program history has been able to accomplish. With a win Tuesday night against Winthrop in Rock Hill, S.C., the Highlanders would reach 13 Big South wins, the most in a single season in program history.

RADFORD ROUNDUP
The Highlanders (15-10, 12-4 Big South) return to the Palmetto State just three days after earning a 64-57 road triumph over Charleston Southern. Radford will be gunning for its 13^th win in its last 15 games.

A win against the Eagles will be very beneficial for RU, which has a one-game lead over Campbell for second place in the Big South standings. A Radford win would clinch the tiebreaker over Winthrop if the two teams tie at the end of the regular season, since the Highlanders would sweep the regular-season series with a victory.

RU defeated the Eagles, 55-47, on Jan. 13 inside the Dedmon Center. The Highlanders held Winthrop to 28.4 percent shooting and scoring leader Erica Williams to a season-low five points in that game.

Radford, which leads the head-to-head series 54-15, has not won at Winthrop Coliseum since the Highlanders prevailed, 54-50, on Jan. 12, 2009.

Ayana Avery and Aisha Foy average double-figure scoring for RU at 10.7 and 10.5 points per game, respectively. The duo accounts for 75.6 percent (102-135) of the Highlanders' 3-pointers made. Avery leads the Big South with her 2.5 triples per contest.

Over in the rebounding department, Jordynn Gaymon and Janayla White both pull down 7.2 caroms per contest. Their average ranks ninth in the conference. On top of her rebounding, White ranks fourth in the Big South in blocks per game, rejecting 1.8 shots per outing.

Paced by Foy's .415 clip from long range, Radford tops the Big South in 3-point field goal percentage (.355). Foy and Avery rank first and second, respectively, in 3-point shooting among Big South players.

SCOUTING WINTHROP
The Eagles (14-11, 10-6 Big South), who have won six of their previous eight games, are coming off a 75-62 road setback to Gardner-Webb last Saturday. Winthrop was outrebounded by 25 (50-25) and gave up 23 second-chance points off 20 Runnin' Bulldog offensive rebounds. GWU also converted more free-throw opportunities (34-41) than the Eagles (15-23).

Winthrop features two of the premier players in the league—Erica Williams and Schaquilla Nunn. Williams averages a team-best 16.3 points per game, which rank second among Big South players. She also adds 8.7 rebounds per game.

Nunn, who contributes 12.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, is one of two conference players to average a double-double. At 6-foot-3, Nunn is the Big South's top shot blocker, swatting 3.7 shots per contest. Her average ranks ninth, nationally.

Led by Nunn, the Eagles top the conference and rank 11^th in the country in blocks per game (6.0). They also lead the Big South in fewest personal fouls per game (16.0) and rank second in fewest turnovers per game (15.5).

Unlike Radford, Winthrop is a cold-shooting team from beyond the arc. The Eagles connect on a league-low 26.5 percent of their attempts from long range. Samiya Wright is Winthrop's top threat from downtown, shooting 34.7 percent (35-101).

UP NEXT
Radford gears up for Saturday's showdown with Campbell at 2 p.m. inside the Dedmon Center. The Big South clash, which is designated as the Play 4Kay game, pits two of the top teams in the conference. Campbell edged RU, 65-62, in overtime on Jan. 17 in Buies Creek, N.C.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Ayana Avery: G; 5' 5"; Senior

#3 Aisha Foy: G; 5' 6"; Junior

#24 Jordynn Gaymon: F; 6' 1"; Senior

#21 Janayla White: F; 6' 2"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#5 Ayana Avery
: 5' 5"; Senior
: G

#3 Aisha Foy
: 5' 6"; Junior
: G

#24 Jordynn Gaymon
: 6' 1"; Senior
: F

#21 Janayla White
: 6' 2"; Freshman
: F