CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY; RADFORD PLAYS FOR FIRST TITLE SINCE '96

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LYNCHBURG, Va. – One win away from matching a program record for season wins, Radford looks to bring its 10^th Big South Tournament Championship and first since 1996 to the New River Valley as the Highlanders take on the seventh seeded UNC Asheville Sunday at 4 p.m. inside the Vines Center in Lynchburg, Va.

SETTING THE STAGE
- Series: Radford leads, 50-21
- The Bulldogs hold a 3-1 edge in neutral site matchups.
- Location: Vines Center (Lynchburg, Va.)
- Time: 4 p.m.
- Live Stats
- ESPN3
- Live Audio
- Game Notes
- Game Day Central

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Radford used another defensive stop in the final seconds of regulation to advance to its first championship game since 2008. Leading by as many as 11 at one point, Radford saw its double-digit lead fade, grinding out a 53-50 semifinal win over fifth seeded Charleston Southern.
Radford has played in contests decided by three points or less in four out of the last five games.
With the win, the No. 1 seed has advanced to the title game in 10 consecutive seasons.
The Highlanders just missed having three players with double-doubles for the first time on the season.
The Highlanders did place four in double-figures for the 10th time on the season.
Janayla White led all players with 16 points and 12 rebounds, her second straight double and seventh on the season.
White has grabbed 51 rebounds in the last four games, while scoring 57 points.
Destinee Walker followed with 13 points and 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double on the season.
Walker collected five of Radford's eight steals, a season high and matching a career best.
Making 5 of 6 free throws, Jayda Worthy finished with 10 points and four rebounds shy for a double-double.
Khiana Johnson contributed 10 points off the bench, making 4 of 4 from the free throw line.
As a team, Radford made 13 of 22 free throw attempts.
Claudia Quevedo finished with a game-high four assists.
Radford finished with a 42.2 field goal percentage, improving to 18-2 when shooting over 40 percent.
Charleston Southern outrebounded Radford 37-36, marking only the 11th time the Highlanders have been beat on the boards.
The Buccaneers scored 13 points off 16 offensive rebounds.
Radford dominated the paint 32-10, while scoring 16 points off 12 turnovers.
Radford enters the championship game having won eight of its last 10 games. In that streak is a 76-73 double overtime win against UNC Asheville inside the Dedmon Center on Feb. 25.
The Highlanders swept the season series, taking a 64-62 overtime win at UNC Asheville on Jan. 28.
Mike McGuire, who is in his fourth season as head coach, will be aiming to lead Radford to its first Big South Tournament title since 1996. He picked up his third postseason victory as the Highlanders' head coach on Saturday.
Defense has been the staple of the Highlanders' success. Entering the conference tournament, Radford ranked 11^th nationally in scoring defense (54.6), 12^th in field goal percentage defense (35.1) and 23^rd in fewest fouls (434).
Finishing as the Big South's leader in field goal percentage and defense, the Highlanders posted a .422 clip in 29 regular season games, while shooting .432 in league games.
The Highlanders ranked third in the Big South with 39.0 rebounds per game, holding opponents to 33.5 per game.
Individually, Janayla White finished third in the league with 7.8 rpg and Jayda Worthy follows in fourth with 7.3 per game. Radford is the only team in the Big South to have two players rank inside the top five and three inside the top ten. Destinee Walker comes in at 10^th with 6.2 rpg.

POSTSEASON HONOREES

Destinee Walker and Jayda Worthy were selected to the All-Big South first team when the conference's postseason awards were revealed Tuesday afternoon.
It marked the second consecutive season that Radford had placed two on the first team and seventh time in program history.
The honor was the first of Walker's career, while Worthy was named to the all-freshman team in 2014-15.
Walker finished third in the Big South Player of the Year voting (two first-place votes and 102 points). Worthy finished fourth in the voting.
Worthy finished just behind Campbell's MaKala Rouse for Big South Defensive Player of the Year honors. Rouse received 18 points on five first-place votes, while Worthy collected 14 points on two first-place votes.
Janayla White earned her third straight Big South postseason honor, being named to the honorable mention squad.
Radford was represented on the all-freshman team for the third straight season as Khiana Johnson headlined the squad, marking only the third time in program history that the Highlanders have collected three consecutive all-freshman team honorees.
Johnson finished second in Big South Freshman of the Year voting, grabbing 28 points and two first-place votes.
Mike McGuire finished second in the voting for Big South Coach of the Year for the second straight season.
McGuire finished behind Campbell's Ronny Fisher. Fisher had 24 points on eight first-place votes, while McGuire collected 19 points and one first-place vote.

TOURNEY TIME

This year marks the 21st anniversary of the Highlanders' last Big South tournament title (1996). They have reached the championship game twice since then (2007 and 2008).
In 2007, No. 2 seed Radford and No. 4 seed UNC Asheville met for the first time in the championship game as the Bulldogs prevailed 67-57.
UNC Asheville, the defending tournament champions defeated No. 2 Liberty 64-62 in double overtime to win the 2016 title.
With the win on Saturday, Radford pulls within one game of returning to the NCAA tournament for the fourth time in program history. After winning the regular-season championship, Radford has already clinched a berth to the WNIT if it was not to win the tournament championship.
The Vines Center has not held every Big South Tournament game since hosting in 1998. Liberty hosted the whole tournament in 1997 and 1998.
Radford holds a 4-2 record in tournament games played inside the Vines Center.

TOURNAMENT RESUME

As the No. 1 seed: 11-1
Record in quarterfinals: 15-10
Record in semifinals: 13-7
Record in championship game: 9-3
Record in tournament opener: 20-11
Record as higher seed: 27-9
Record as lower seed: 11-12
Record in Lynchburg: 4-2
Championships won (last): 9 (1996)
Championships won in Lynchburg: 0

ROLLING, ROLLING ON THE RIVER

With a 24-7 record, the 2016-17 squad ranks fourth all-time for most season wins in program history.
With 24 wins, Radford has won the most games in a season since the 2007-08 squad won 23 games, ironically the last time the Highlanders made an appearance in the conference tournament championship game.
Radford needs only one win to match the program's record for most wins in a season.
In the last three seasons under head coach Mike McGuire, Radford has posted win totals of 17, 18, and 24.
Radford's program record for wins in a season is 25, set during the 1988-89 season. The Highlanders went 25-7 that season.

HOW UNC ASHEVILLE ADVANCED

The Bulldogs become the first seventh seed to reach the title game since 2013 and just the fourth overall, holding off sixth seeded Presbyterian 56-55 for a semifinal victory.
UNC Asheville is 17-28 in the Big South Tournament. The Bulldogs have now reached the championship game five times, including winning the crown in 2007 and 2016. The Bulldogs were runners up in 1998 and 2005. As the No. 7 Seed, UNC Asheville is now 3-4.
The Bulldogs have now won their sixth straight tournament games dating back to 2016.
Chatori Major led the Bulldogs with 15 points, while collecting four steals and three rebounds.
Major made three 3-pointers, setting a new program record with her 74 made three-point field goals.
Bronaza Fitzgerald finished with a double-double with a 14-point, 13 rebound effort. While making the game-winning layup and finishing the three-point play for the one-point victory.

UP NEXT
The winner of the 2017 Big South Women's Basketball Championship will advance to next week's NCAA Tournament. The selection show is slated for Monday at 7 p.m. on ESPN. Radford will make an WNIT appearance if it does not win the championship. The Highlanders would find out their WNIT opponent after the selection show.

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Players Mentioned

#11 Claudia Quevedo: G; 5' 9"; Redshirt Sophomore

#10 Destinee Walker: G/F; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#21 Janayla White: F; 6' 2"; Junior

#22 Jayda Worthy: F; 6' 0"; Junior

#4 Khiana Johnson: G; 5' 7"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#11 Claudia Quevedo
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Sophomore
: G

#10 Destinee Walker
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: G/F

#21 Janayla White
: 6' 2"; Junior
: F

#22 Jayda Worthy
: 6' 0"; Junior
: F

#4 Khiana Johnson
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: G