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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Darius Bolstad
Radford Athletics Communications
69
Radford RAD (9-13, 4-6 BSC)
80
Winner UNC Asheville AVL (16-7, 8-2 BSC)
Radford RAD
(9-13, 4-6 BSC)
69
Final
80
UNC Asheville AVL
(16-7, 8-2 BSC)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Radford RAD 31 38 69
UNC Asheville AVL 39 41 80

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

BOLSTAD’S CAREER-HIGH 19 NOT ENOUGH AT ASHEVILLE



Box Score (PDF)

GAME INFORMATION
  • Score: UNC Asheville 80, Radford 69
  • Records: Radford (9-13, 4-6) | UNC Asheville (16-7, 8-2)
  • Location: Kimmel Arena | Asheville, N.C.
 
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Darius Bolstad scored a career-high 19 points, but the Radford men's basketball team couldn't overcome an early deficit, falling on the road at UNC Asheville 80-69 Saturday afternoon.
 
Bolstad made 9 of 10 shots in the game to nearly to shatter his previous career-best of 12 points, while adding eight rebounds and one block. Justin Cousin added 14 points, six rebounds and three assists.
 
The Highlanders, though, were fighting uphill the entire way after starting out 1 for 9 from the field. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, connected on 4 of their first 7 3-pointers, while adding 12 points in the paint to build a 29-13 advantage at the 7:59 mark.
 
However, Radford mounted a comeback with a 16-4 run that began with layups by Darius Bolstad and Devonnte Holland off assists by Christian Bradford and Caleb Tanner. The Highlanders then caught fire from behind the arc, hitting four straight 3-pointers after beginning the game 1 for 8. Justin Cousin and Tanner each made one from the same corner, Sterling Christy connected from the top of the key and Tanner added another that brought Radford within 33-29 with 3:08 left in the half. Asheville, though, scored on three of its last four possessions, capped by a tip-in at the buzzer, to push the edge back to 39-31 at the break.
 
The teams traded two 3-pointers apiece to start the second half before a old-fashioned three-point by play Bolstad off a jumphook in the lane made it 50-44 score with 15:17 to play. The Bulldogs then went on a 10-1 run over a five-minute stretch, led by seven points by Ahmad Thomas to push the lead back up to 15 and Radford was only able to get as close the final 11-point margin the rest of the way.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • After making all three of his shots in the first half, Bolstad was 6 of 7 for 13 points in the second. He scored his 19 points in 21 minutes, one less than his career-high. It was his fifth double-digit game of the season and second in three games.
  • Cousin reached double figures for the sixth time in seven contests, but he was just 4 of 16 from the field and 4 of 12 on 3's. Donald Hicks added nine points, while Bradford chipped in eight points and five assists and Tanner tallied eight points.
  • The Highlanders totaled 16 assists on 25 made field goals, but shot just 39 percent from the field, including 10 of 30 behind the arc.
  • Sterling Christy tied a career-high with 10 rebounds, but Asheville finished with a 40-35 edge overall.
  • Ed Polite, Jr. had his streak of five straight double-doubles end as he tallied just one point and one rebound in a season-low 13 minutes.
  • The Bulldogs also had a 34-24 advantage in the paint and scored 16 points off of turnovers. After committing just four miscues in the first half, Radford had seven in the second 20 minutes, leading to 14 points.
  • Thomas scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half and was 7 of 12 from the field to lead five players in double figures. He also added 13 rebounds.
  • Asheville shot 47 percent in the game and made 7 of 14 3-pointers on its way to snapping a four-game losing streak to the Highlanders.
  • Radford's three-game losing streak is its first since opening up the 2014-15 conference season at 0-3. The defeat was also just the team's second in its last eight Big South road games.
 
QUOTABLE
  • "I was proud of the way our guys battled all game long and unfortunately we just didn't get enough stops when we really needed to. We certainly had our opportunities. We kept it at nine to 12 or 13 points most of the game and to get over the hump you have to somehow string three or four stops in a row together and we just couldn't do that today. They're a really good team and we've had some great games with them and I think it's a good matchup but we just couldn't do enough to really make it a down to the wire type of game." ~ Radford head coach Mike Jones
 
UP NEXT
  • Radford is back at home on Wednesday, welcoming first-place Winthrop to the Dedmon Center for a 7 p.m. tipoff. The Highlanders handed the Eagles' their only league defeat (82-80) when they teams met on Dec. 31.
 
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