","thumbnailUrl":null,"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Radford University Athletics","jobTitle":null},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Radford University Athletics","url":"https://radfordathletics.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://radfordathletics.com/images/logos/site/site.png","width":50,"height":50}},"about":null,"speakable":{"type":"SpeakableSpecification","cssSelector":["article-content","article-headline"]}} JONES' BUZZER-BEATER LIFTS RADFORD TO OVERTIME VICTORY - Radford University Athletics
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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Carlik
78
Winner Radford RAD 14-8, 7-2
76
High Point HPU 10-10, 5-4
Winner
Radford RAD
14-8, 7-2
78
Final
76
High Point HPU
10-10, 5-4
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Radford RAD 27 38 13 78
High Point HPU 41 24 11 76

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

JONES' BUZZER-BEATER LIFTS RADFORD TO OVERTIME VICTORY



GAME INFORMATION
Score: Radford 78, High Point 76 (OT)
Records: Radford (14-8, 7-2 Big South) | High Point (10-10, 5-4 Big South)
Location: Millis Center | High Point, N.C.
 
HIGH POINT, N.C. – With the clock running down and the game knotted at 76, redshirt freshman Carlik Jones stared down his defender before stepping back and drilling the game-winning, buzzer-beating shot to give the Radford men's basketball team a 78-76 overtime victory over High Point Wednesday night.
 
The Highlanders attempted to take the lead and complete a huge second half comeback seconds earlier, but Ed Polite Jr.'s jumper from the baseline bounced off the rim. Luckily, the ball deflected off a High Point defender and out of bounds to give Radford one more chance.
 
Jones made the most of that chance, knowing he would take the final shot from the start. The momentous jumper pushes Radford's record in the Big South to 7-2, keeping the scrappy Highlanders alone atop the conference standings.
 
Seven ties and 11 lead changes, including six in overtime alone, resulted in one of the craziest games Radford has played in a long time. After shooting 35.5% (11-for-31) including a 26.7% (4-for-15) clip from three in the first half, the Highlanders were lights out in the second half with 14-of-24 (58.3%) field goal attempts finding the bottom of the net.
 
The offensive flow transferred to the defensive end and it culminated in a 16-0 second half run that lasted just over eight minutes, allowing Radford to get back in the game. It was only thanks to a Jahaad Proctor layup with a second remaining in regulation that High Point managed to force extra time.
 
Proctor led all scorers with 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting, but the Highlanders used yet another complete team effort to earn the win.
 
Jones was Radford's top scorer with 14 points while Polite Jr. pitched in 13, sophomore guard Donald Hicks dropped 11 and senior center Randy Phillips added 10. One more point from sophomore forward Devonnte Holland would have put him in double-digits as well and would have given the Highlanders their first game with five players over 10 points since Nov. 16, 2016.
 
High Point came out firing to begin the game, knocking down each of its first four shot attempts to take an early lead. Down 9-5, freshman forward Leroy Butts IV came off the bench and scored five quick points to give Radford its first lead of the night.
 
A constant exchange of baskets kept the game close as a deep three from redshirt senior guard Justin Cousin made it a two-point game at the 8:30 mark. Foul trouble and a lack of rebounding finally caught up to the Highlanders, however, and the Panthers began to run away with things from there.
 
Eight straight points across three minutes of action came at the free throw line for High Point, pushing its lead to 30-22. An 11-for-13 performance at the charity stripe boosted a strong shooting half for the Panthers. They ended the frame on a 19-7 run to bring the score to 41-27 at the break.
 
Radford has overcome a double-digit deficit three times this season, the last being in a 59-57 overtime victory over Liberty on Jan. 15.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Radford's all-time record vs. High Point moves to 24-20 with three of the last four games going to overtime
  • The last four games with the Panthers have been decided by a combined nine points
  • The first five rebounds pulled down by Radford were all on the offensive end. Out of 38 combined rebounds by both teams in the first half, 21 were offensive
  • Freshman forward Leroy Butts IV had never attempted more than one 3-pointer in a game in his career, but he had two attempts by the 12:52 mark of the first half
  • High Point held a 23-15 advantage in rebounds at halftime, but Radford outrebounded the Panthers by seven in the second half to bring the final tally to 33-32
  • The Highlanders attempted 60+ shots for just the sixth time in 22 games this season. Their field goal percentage of 48.3 (29-for-60) third best of any game on the year
  • Free throws were a huge factor in how each half went. High Point shot 13 in the first half and seven in the second half while Radford took only two in the first half, but nine in the second half
  • Radford scored 36 of its points in the paint, 17 off turnovers, 20 on second chances and only two on the fast break
 
QUOTABLE
"We challenged the team at halftime to show some toughness. We told the guys High Point was being way tougher than us, just beating us up, and they responded in a big way the second half. We chipped away to give ourselves a chance to win and I'm really proud of the way our guys faced a lot of adversity today." - Head Coach Mike Jones
 
AROUND THE BIG SOUTH
Campbell 94, Liberty 85 (Tuesday)
Winthrop 95, Longwood 78
UNC Asheville 65, Gardner-Webb 60
Presbyterian 57, Charleston Southern 49
 
UP NEXT
  • Radford will look to carry this momentum back home where it will welcome Charleston Southern for a 2 p.m. tip on Saturday, Jan. 27
  • The game will be broadcast live on Stadium and will feature recognitions for distinguished alumni and ESPN personality Marty Smith and the 1997-98 Radford men's basketball team that brought the program its first Big South Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance
  • Tickets can be purchased in advance at radfordtickets.com or by calling the Radford Athletics ticket office at (540) 831-7889. Remaining tickets will be available for purchase at the ticket office inside the Dedmon Center on game day.
 
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