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Box Score

Stetson STET 2-4

Radford RAD 2-3

Stetson STET

2-4

Final

Nov. 25, 2016

Radford RAD

2-3

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	OT 1	F
Stetson STET	35	28	3	66
Radford RAD	30	33	17	80

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 11/25/2016 3:58:00 PM

RADFORD RALLIES BACK, DOMINATES OVERTIME FOR 80-66 VICTORY

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vs. Georgia Southern

11/26/2016 | 2:30PM

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Nov. 26 (Sat) / 2:30PM

vs. Georgia Southern

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GAME INFORMATION

Score: Radford 80, Stetson 66, OT
Records: Radford (2-3) | Stetson (2-4)
Location: Savannah Civic Center | Savannah, Ga.

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Radford men's basketball team persevered through a rollercoaster final 25 minutes Friday afternoon in its first game of the Savannah Invitational, coming back from a 13-point deficit to take the lead and, after Stetson forced the game into overtime, outscoring the Hatters 17-3 in the extra period to claim a gutsy 80-66 victory.

Ed Polite, Jr. had a monster game in leading the Highlanders to their first win of the season away from home, posting a 21-point, career-high 16-rebound double-double. The sophomore totaled 17 points and 10 of the boards after halftime, including 10 points in the overtime on 3 of 3 shooting from the field and 4 of 4 free throws. Donald Hicks also came up big, adding 14 points with five of them coming in overtime.

After Stetson scored the final six points of regulation as Radford went scoreless over the last 4:49, the Highlanders bounced back with Polite taking over to start overtime. He scored the first six points, converting a layup, hitting a jumper and making two free throws on the first three possessions for a 69-65 lead with 3:09 to play. Hicks then drained his fourth 3-pointer of the game and followed with a jumper after a steal by Christian Bradford to make it 74-66. Polite, Jr. then put it away, grabbing the last of his seven offensive rebounds, making two more shots at the line and sinking a jumper.

Radford appeared in trouble when Stetson used a strong finish to the first half and good start to the second to build a 50-37 advantage with 14:56 to play. However, the Highlanders outscored the Hatters 26-7 over the next 10 minutes, hitting 10 of 15 shots while dominating on the glass.

Coming out of a timeout, Polite, Jr. got it all started with five quick points on a 3-pointer and a layup. Another 3-pointer by Christian Lutete and an inside basket by Darius Bolstad made it 52-47. Stetson scored the next three points, but then Radford went on 14-0 run to take a six-point lead. Bradford drove for a layup, hit a jumper and assisted on a 3-pointer by Hicks. Two free throws by Lutete then put the Highlanders ahead for the first time since the score was 24-23. Justin Cousin added another 3-pointer and Lutete hit a jumper to make it 61-55 with 5:30 to go.

Radford went cold from there, but grabbed three straight offensive rebounds to maintain a possession and still led 63-57 with less than 1:30 to play. However, Stetson used two free throws and a pair of layups, the latter coming with eight seconds left, to tie it up.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Polite shot 6 of 12 from the field, including 5 of 7 in the second half and overtime, while going 8 for 8 at the free-throw line all after halftime. He came into the game just 3 of 9 at the stripe.
Radford took over on the boards in the final 25 minutes, outrebounding Stetson 30-12 to finish with a 50-32 margin. The Highlanders totaled 50 rebounds for the first time since last year's game against Central Penn.
Polite, Jr.'s 16 rebounds surpassed his previous high of 13 last season against UNC Asheville. He also recorded his seventh career double-double.
Randy Phillips finished just a point shy of his first, grabbing a season-high 12 rebounds and scoring nine points.
Lutete scored nine of his career-high 12 points off the bench after halftime. He was an efficient 4 of 5 from the field in the game, including makes on both of his 3-point attempts. His previous high was 11 against VCU in the second game of his career.
Hicks posted his second double-figure outing, connecting on 5 of 12 shots, including 4 of 8 from behind the arc.
Bradford, making his first start as a Highlander in place of injured point guard Devin Cooper, struggled with his shot, but had two key baskets during the second-half run, and dished out a team-high six assists, all of them also in the second half and overtime.
The Highlanders shot 42 percent in the game, thanks to the strong 10 minutes in the middle of the second half and a 6 for 8 performance in the overtime. They also had just six turnovers after halftime after committing double that number in the first 20 minutes.
Radford got its first victory when behind at halftime and overcame a double-digit deficit to win for the first time since a home victory over Campbell last January.

QUOTABLE

"It was a lot of fun. I thought everybody who came into the game really stepped up and played hard and we had a couple of grown men on that glass. I really saw it in the summer that we could be a really good rebounding team and today we were absolutely dominant and that was a big reason why we were able to win the game. Our execution was really good (in the second half run) and Christian is in a tough situation, playing the point for us. But he is a tough kid and he made some big-time plays in the second half. The confidence that the guys showed in each other was really something that I was proud to see. " ~ Radford head coach Mike Jones

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