HIGHLANDERS GO FOR SOUTH CAROLINA ROAD SWEEP WEDNESDAY

Follow @RadfordMBB

SETTING THE STAGE

The Radford men's basketball team seeks its third consecutive road victory in the state of South Carolina when it plays at Charleston Southern Wednesday night, with tipoff inside the CSU Fieldhouse set for 7:30 p.m.
Series History: Radford holds a 44-26 all-time lead and is 16-14 in Charleston, including victories in its last two trips, with the most recent coming in 2015.
Last meeting: Radford 80, Charleston Southern 73 (Jan. 6, 2016)
Live Video
Live Stats
Live Audio
Game Notes

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Record: 8-8, 3-1
Radford has won four of its last five games and is 3-1 in conference play for the first time since 2013-14 and the second time under head coach Mike Jones.
Caleb Tanner leads the Big South and ranks 26th in the nation with his 45-percent 3-point shooting clip. In conference play, he has made 17 of 28 attempts (60.7 percent), to rank second in the league. Overall, he is averaging a team-leading 10.8 ppg and has scored in double figures in four straight games.
Ed Polite, Jr. (3.00) and Randy Phillips (2.88) rank second and third, respectively, in the Big South in offensive rebounds per game as the Highlanders lead the conference with 12.88 per contest. Phillips now leads the team with a total of 46, including 15 in conference play, with Polite, Jr. at 45.
Polite, Jr. still leads the league in overall rebounding at 9.5, while ranking fourth in steals per game and seventh in blocks per game, while averaging 10.4 ppg.
Justin Cousin is now just under double figures for the season at 9.6 ppg, while shooting 37 percent on 3-pointers and averaging 2.8 assists per outing.
Radford is shooting 48 percent (43 of 90) from behind the arc in conference play, ranking second in both percentage and makes per game (10.75). For the season, the Highlanders are third in the league at 37 percent. Christian Lutete is second on the team individually behind Tanner at 40 percent (19 of 48).
Darius Bolstad has totaled a team-leading 24 blocks and is third in the Big South at 1.85 per game.
Coming off his 18-point game vs. Presbyterian, Donald Hicks is averaging 7.2 ppg, just behind Christian Bradford, who is at 7.3, along with his 3.6 assists, third in the league.
As a team, Radford leads the way in conference play in rebounding and rebounding margin, is second in blocks, third in assists and fourth in scoring and fifth in points allowed.
The Highlanders are 7-0 this season when leading at halftime and 8-2 when shooting 40 percent or better.

SCOUTING CHARLESTON SOUTHERN

Record: 4-11, 0-4
Charleston Southern is on a seven-game losing streak, with its last victory coming over Johnson & Wales on Dec. 10, although all but two of the games were on the road.
The Buccaneers dropped a 79-75 decision at Gardner-Webb on Saturday. Their other conference losses came at home to Winthrop and Liberty and at Campbell, each by double figures.
CSU also lost at VMI (88-83), at Georgia and at Virginia Tech during the winless run.
Preseason All-Big South second-team pick Armel Potter is averaging 13.5 ppg, while shooting 47 percent and leading the team 3.1 assists per game.
Freshman guard Christian Keeling leads the team in both scoring (14.1 ppg) and rebounding (6.1).
Junior forward Javis Howard averages 6.0 rebounds per game and leads the conference with 3.33 offensive boards per game (50 total), along with 7.5 ppg.
Junior guard Cortez Mitchell also averages in double figures at 10.5 ppg, while Raemond Robinson (24) and Patrick Wallace (21) have combined for 45 3-pointers.
Junior guard Jamal Thomas is averaging 5.8 ppg on the season, but has scored 19 and 16 points in the last two games, his first two starts of the season.
In conference play, CSU is fifth in scoring (73.8), but last in points allowed (84.0), ninth in field-goal percentage defense (51.8) and seventh in rebounding.

UP NEXT

Radford returns home for a matchup against in-state rival Liberty Saturday at 4:30 p.m., following the Highlander women's game versus Longwood inside the Dedmon Center.

For the latest on Radford Athletics, please subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Highlander Happenings.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#45 Darius Bolstad: C; 6' 8"; Sophomore

#14 Justin Cousin: G; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior

#25 Christian Lutete: F; 6' 4"; Sophomore

#24 Ed Polite, Jr.: F; 6' 5"; Sophomore

#10 Caleb Tanner: G; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#3 Christian Bradford: G; 6' 1"; Junior

#5 Donald Hicks: G; 6' 3"; Freshman

#32 Randy Phillips: C; 6' 8"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#45 Darius Bolstad
: 6' 8"; Sophomore
: C

#14 Justin Cousin
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior
: G

#25 Christian Lutete
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: F

#24 Ed Polite, Jr.
: 6' 5"; Sophomore
: F

#10 Caleb Tanner
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: G

#3 Christian Bradford
: 6' 1"; Junior
: G

#5 Donald Hicks
: 6' 3"; Freshman
: G

#32 Randy Phillips
: 6' 8"; Junior
: C