RADFORD PLAYS REGULAR-SEASON HOME FINALE THURSDAY NIGHT

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SETTING THE STAGE

The Radford men's basketball team will play its final home game of the regular season Thursday night, welcoming Presbyterian to the Dedmon Center for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
Currently in sixth place in the Big South, the Highlanders can clinch a first-round bye in the conference tournament with a win and losses by Campbell and Charleston Southern on Thursday. They also sit just one game behind fifth-place High Point.
Last meeting: Radford had four players in double figures, shot 51 percent and led for over 36 minutes in a 76-63 road win on Jan. 7.
Series History: The Highlanders now lead the series 11-7, including a 5-2 record at home. They posted a 95-82 victory in Presbyterian's last visit to Dedmon on Jan. 10, 2015.
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HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Record: 12-16, 7-9
Radford has won three of its last four games overall and is looking for its third consecutive home victory.
Ed Polite, Jr. has posted three straight double-doubles, giving him 19 in his career, including 13 this season which lead the Big South and rank tied for 22nd in the NCAA.
Polite, Jr. is averaging 16.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game over the last six games, including 21.0 ppg and 10.5 rpg in the two games last week. He has shot 64 percent (28 of 44) over the last four outings.
For the season, the sophomore is now at a team-high 11.6 ppg, along with a Big-South best 9.5 rpg, while ranking second in the conference in offensive rebounds per game, third in steals and seventh in blocks.
With 484 career rebounds, Polite, Jr. is 16 away from becoming the 17th Highlander in program history to reach 500, but would be the first to do so as a sophomore. All-time leader Javante Green hit 500 in the fourth game of his junior season, his 68th career contest.
Donald Hicks equaled his career high with 19 points in Saturday's win over Longwood, his 10th double-figure outing and third in the last four games. The freshman is now averaging 7.8 ppg and 8.4 in conference play.
Radford has outrebounded its opponent in 23 of its 28 games, including 14 of 16 Big South contests. The Highlanders remain the league's leader in overall rebounding (39.4), offensive rebounding (12.7) and rebounding margin (6.9).
Christian Bradford now has an even 100 assists on the season, still ranking third in the conference at 3.6 per game and 3.9 in league play. His 13-point outing against Longwood was his sixth game in double figures.
Justin Cousin has scored in double figures 14 times this season, while Caleb Tanner has done so 12 times. The duo had a combined eight double-digit outings last year. Cousin remains second on the team with 11.0 ppg, with Tanner at 9.2.
Radford is now a perfect 10-0 this season when scoring at least 70 points.
The Highlanders posted their two highest shooting percentages at home this season in the last two games, including 53 percent against Longwood.

SCOUTING PRESBYTERIAN

Record: 5-22, 1-15
Presbyterian enters on a six-game losing streak and is 1-15 in its last 16 contests, including an 84-56 decision to Gardner-Webb on Saturday.
The Blue Hose are 0-15 on the road this season and have lost their eight conference road games by an average of 19.3 points.
Freshman Jo'Vontae Miller leads the team with 10.8 ppg and is second with 5.6 rebounds, but has missed the last three games after sustaining an injury on Feb. 9.
Reggie Dillard averages 9.8 ppg, along with 3.3 assists per contests, while Ed Drew contributes 8.6 ppg and a team-high 5.7 rebounds. Drew also ranks fourth in the conference in offensive rebounds per game (2.4).
Will Adams scored 21 points in the first meeting against Radford and is coming off a 21-point outing in the last game. In two prior games before that, he had totaled two points.
In league play, Presbyterian is last in points per game (57.5), scoring margin and field-goal percentage (39.7), while ranking eighth in points allowed (74.5) and ninth in field-goal percentage defense. The Blue Hose do stand third in offensive rebounds per game.