RADFORD'S SEASON COMES TO A CLOSE AT VERMONT

Monday, March 23

Burlington, Vt.

7:00 PM

Radford University

22-12

Vermont

20-13

Team	1	2	F
Radford	34	37	71
Vermont	37	41	78

Photo by: RUHighlanderPhotos.com

3/23/2015 10:38:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

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BURLINGTON, Vt. - Radford's 2014-15 campaign ended Monday in the CBI quarterfinals with a 78-71 loss at Vermont (20-13). The Highlanders (22-12) finish with back-to-back 22-win slates equaling the school record for wins in a season as an NCAA Div. I member and also earning the designation as the first Big South Conference program ever to record a postseason victory in back-to-back years.

The Catamounts opened the second half with a quick 7-0 spurt to turn a one-possession game into a double-digit lead, and the Highlanders never fully recovered. RU trailed 37-34 at the break and twice cut the deficit to five points after trailing by as many as 16 in the second half, but could not overcome UVM hitting 52 percent from the floor and having four players score in double figures.

Javonte Green and R.J. Price closed out their respective careers fittingly as the only Radford players to reach double figures. Green quite simply awed the capacity crowd at Patrick Gymnasium with a 24-point, 15-rebound, 5-steal performance that included a monster dunk that fans were still talking about after the game. Price added 13 points for the Highlanders.

"Our guys kept battling," Radford head coach Mike Jones said. "I am definitely proud of the fight tonight and what these guys have done for Radford basketball. We just didn't have quite the level of focus at times, and they took advantage with the run coming out of the locker room."

Radford's defensive pressure gave Vermont trouble all night. The Highlanders forced 18 turnovers and converted those into a 22-13 edge on the offensive end. RU struggled from the field, however, shooting just 40 percent and 4 of 20 from behind the three-point line.

Trae Bell-Haynes led the Catamounts with 17 points. Ethan O'Day added 16, and Kurt Steidl and Dre Wills scored 12 and 11, respectively.

"I'm just thankful for the opportunity to coach this team in this kind of tournament environment," Jones said following the game and speaking of the future of the program. "It will help us down the line."

The loss ends the careers of four Highlanders - Green, Price, Kyle Noreen, and Jalen Carethers - who were a part of the first recruiting class Jones brought in as head coach.

Green finishes as one of the most prolific Highlanders of all-time. His career numbers are staggering - 1911 points, 1064 rebounds, 243 steals, 89 blocks, 141 assists. The rebounds and steals totals are school records, and he finishes second in career scoring. He played more games (133) in a Radford uniform than any other Highlander all-time.

Price rounds out his time at RU with 1649 points, 369 assists, 166 steals, and 301 three-point field goals. He ranks fifth all-time in scoring and is just the third player in Big South history with at least 300 treys, 300 assists, and 150 steals. He started more career games (130) than any player in Highlander history.

Noreen finishes with 498 points, 395 rebounds, 183 assists, 78 steals, and 34 blocks. Carethers had 553 points, 379 rebounds, 110 blocks, 52 steals, and 52 assists. Noreen's numbers are top 20 in four different categories at RU, and Carethers finishes with the 6th most blocks in school history.

"Those four seniors and their families had faith in me as a coach, and I appreciate them and am very proud of every one of them," Jones said. "I love each one of them."