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Radford University Athletics

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Radford Athletics Communications
64
Winner Radford RAD 15-4, 7-1 BSC
62
UNC Asheville AVL 10-9, 4-4 BSC
Winner
Radford RAD
15-4, 7-1 BSC
64
Final
62
UNC Asheville AVL
10-9, 4-4 BSC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 OT 1 F
Radford RAD 17 16 11 13 7 64
UNC Asheville AVL 17 7 15 18 5 62

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

RADFORD HOLDS ON FOR 64-62 OT THRILLER AT UNC ASHEVILLE



GAME INFORMATION
  • Score: Radford 64, UNC Asheville 62
  • Records: Highlanders (15-4, 7-1 Big South) | Bulldogs (10-9, 4-4 Big South)
  • Location: Kimmel Arena | Asheville, N.C.
 
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – It took 45 minutes to play, but the first matchup between the top two teams in the Big South Coaches' Preseason Poll turned into a thriller as Radford held on for a 64-62 overtime win over preseason favorite UNC Asheville, Saturday afternoon inside the Kimmel Arena.
 
Leading all scorers, Destinee Walker finished with 20 points on an 8 for 16 performance from the floor to give her four 20-point performances on the season. Khiana Johnson provided a second half spark for the Highlanders, scoring eight of her 14 points in the final 25 minutes of play.
 
Trailing 33-24 at halftime, UNC Asheville took advantage of Radford's recent third quarter woes, outscoring the Highlanders 15-11 in the quarter led by a 11-point charge from Chatori Major on three 3-pointers in the quarter.
 
Major hit back-to-back 3-pointers with time winding down in the quarter, inching the Bulldogs within 42-39 with just 15 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Following the made basket, Johnson took the inbound pass and raced down the court to knock down a free throw line jumper to beat the buzzer, sending Radford into the final 10 minutes with a 44-39 lead.
 
Jayda Worthy opened the final quarter with layup off a Claudia Quevedo assist and Johnson followed with a fast break layup after forcing a Major turnover to extend Radford's lead to nine points (48-39) 1:09 into the quarter.
 
The two foes traded baskets for the next two minutes as Radford still held on to a nine-point advantage. Following a Major missed 3-pointer, Johnson grabbed the rebound and raced up the floor. With numbers in her favor, Johnson pulled up for a fast break jumper in front of the free throw line for a Radford 52-43 lead with seven minutes remaining in regulation.
 
After the Johnson fast break basket, UNC Asheville went on a 12-5 run as a KJ Weaver jumper cut the Highlander lead to 57-55 with just under one minute remaining in regulation.
 
Running the shot and game clock down, Radford's opportunity to gain breathing room vanished as Johnson missed a jumper, giving the Bulldogs a chance to tie or take the lead with 36.4 remaining on the clock. UNC Asheville called timeout after the Jessica Wall rebound, advancing the ball past the time line.
 
Unable to find a good look out of their first timeout, UNC Asheville called a timeout and ultimately drew up the right play as Major found an open Weaver for a layup to knot the game at 57 with 6.4 seconds on the clock. Radford called timeout to move the ball just beside their bench.
 
Coming out of the timeout, Walker inbounded the ball to Janayla White, who gave the ball back to Walker for a game winning 3-pointer. Walker's attempt was blocked by Weaver as the loose ball ran the remaining time off the clock to send the contest into overtime.
 
UNC Asheville's run to send the game into overtime was aided by eight points from Weaver in the final 3:17 of the fourth quarter.
 
Weaver opened overtime with two free throws to give her 10 points in less than a four-minute span. The two free throws gave the Bulldogs their first lead since the 5:03 mark in the second quarter.
 
Radford answered Weaver's free throws with seven straight points. Two consecutive layups from Worthy gave Radford a 61-59 lead with 2:47 left in overtime. Following UNC Asheville's third straight miss in extra time, Walker gave the Highlanders breathing room with a nifty move to the basket for a layup. The basket extended the lead to 63-59 with just two minutes remaining.
 
A lone White free throw at the 1:21 mark proved to be vitle for the Highlanders as Wall connected for her third 3-pointer of the contest to cut the lead to 64-62. Radford's took the next possession as an opportunity to run the clock down as the Bulldogs got the ball back on a Walker desperation heave from behind the arc to beat the shot clock with 8.2 seconds left.
 
The Bulldogs called their timeout to advance the ball, but proved moot as Walker forced Major's seventh turnover of the game as Radford held on for a 64-62 victory.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • The overtime contest is the first for the Highlanders since Nov. 13, 2015 in a 66-63 win over George Mason.
  • It was also the first Radford overtime road win since Jan. 10, 2013. The Highlanders defeated Gardner-Webb 72-69.
  • In the all-time series, Radford has won five out of the last six games played in Asheville, N.C., improving to 49-21 in the series.
  • Radford used a 7-0 run between the end of the first and beginning of second quarters to take a 19-17 lead, which they held 31:21 of the contest.
  • The Highlanders closed out the second half on a 10-0 run to take a 33-24 halftime lead.
  • For the 12th time on the season, Radford shot over 40-percent, including their fifth in Big South play.
  • Radford finished with a 49.1 field goal percentage, while UNC Asheville shot 41 percent.
  • Destinee Walker's 20-point performance is her second in league play and third on the road.
  • Walker dished out three assists, while blocking a career-high three shots.
  • In two games on the week, Khiana Johnson scored 28 points on 11 for 22 shooting. She grabbed a season-high six rebounds.
  • Jayda Worthy finished with 14 points and nine rebounds. Worthy has fell one rebound shy of a double-double in the last two contests.
  • Worthy has grabbed 16 offensive rebounds in the last three games and 37 in Big South games.
  • Sydney Nunley finished with 11 points on 5 for 5 shooting. Nunley scored 10 points in the first half.
  • The Highlanders placed four in double-figures for the sixth time on the season, including four in Big South play.
  • Radford's defense forced 17 turnovers, scoring 17 points of the Bulldog miscues.
  • UNC Asheville dominated the glass, 41-30, scoring 13 points off 16 offensive rebounds.
  • The Highlanders have only been outrebounded six times on the season with a 3-3 record in those games.

QUOTABLE
  • "This was a really good conference game. I'm really proud of how we gutted it out through some tough situations. UNC Asheville had all the momentum most of the fourth quarter and going into overtime. I liked our mentality in overtime. It was a good win over the defending conference champion that knows how the win and how to compete. To beat them at their place is huge for us." ~ Radford head coach Mike McGuire
 
UP NEXT
  • Radford continues road action on Tuesday, closing out the month against Presbyterian. Action is slated for a 7 p.m. start in Clinton, S.C.
  • The Highlanders hold a 16-4 edge over the Blue Hose, including a 7-2 record on the road.
  • Radford has swept the last four regular season matchups. Presbyterian swept the season series in 2014.
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