Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Travis Fields Notre Dame Upset
63
Winner Radford RAD 3-0
60
Notre Dame UND 2-1
Winner
Radford RAD
3-0
63
Final
60
Notre Dame UND
2-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Radford RAD 28 35 63
Notre Dame UND 34 26 60

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

RADFORD SHOCKS NOTRE DAME WITH 63-60 WIN IN SOUTH BEND


 
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Radford men's basketball team went into South Bend and came away with a historic 63-60 upset of Notre Dame at the Purcell Pavilion on Wednesday night.
 
With 0.3 seconds left on the clock and Radford leading 63-60, the Fighting Irish had one last chance to avoid defeat. A desperation heave missed its marked and the Highlanders put the basketball world on notice.
 
Senior guard Caleb Tanner played like a man possessed, pouring in a season-high 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting including a 6-for-9 clip from deep. Senior forward Ed Polite Jr. also had a monster game, delivering 16 points and 11 rebounds for his 28th career double-double.
 
The win marks the Highlanders' third ever over current ACC programs following victories against Virginia Tech in 1999 and 2014. The Hokies were in the Big East in 1999.
 
The Highlanders hung around with Notre Dame in the first half, thanks in large part to an incredible shooting display by Tanner. The Floyd, Va. native went 5-for-7 from the floor and 4-for-6 from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes alone, including two shots from way beyond NBA range and one acrobatic drive to the rim.
 
Radford started the contest just 3-for-17 shooting as a team through the 10:16 mark, but went 6-for-8 over the next seven minutes to get right back into the thick of things. A 15-5 deficit was narrowed to one at 24-23 before the half closed at 34-28 in favor of the Fighting Irish.
 
Notre Dame still hadn't figured out how to slow the Highlanders down when the second half began and it showed. Radford battled with everything it had and took its first lead of the game, 41-40, with 16:26 left in the game.
 
It went back-and-forth from there as each side traded punches. Notre Dame regained its lead and went out in front by as many as five points, but it wasn't going to be enough to keep the Highlanders back. A transition three from junior guard Donald Hicks and a put-back layup from junior center Devonnte Holland had Radford on top at the under-8 timeout.
 
A drive to the rim by junior guard Travis Fields Jr. put Radford up by six with four minutes left in regulation and the Highlanders did everything they had to in order to protect that lead to the end.
 
PLAY OF THE GAME  
STANDOUT STATS
After shooting just 31.3-percent (10-32) in the first half, Radford came out firing in the second half and laid down a 56.0 (14-25) shooting percentage in the second half. The Fighting Irish were held to 10-for-31 (32.2%) in that second half.

CLIMBING UP THE RECORD BOOK
With his first basket of the night, Polite Jr. passed YaYa Anderson (1998-02) for 22nd on Radford's all-time scoring list. The Lanham, Md. native now has 1,157 points in his career and has Stephen Barber (1988-92) in his sights at 1,170 points.

UP NEXT
Radford continues its journey through the Gotham Classic with another road game on Saturday, Nov. 17. The Highlanders will take on Duquesne at Noon in the LeBron James Arena in Akron, Ohio.
 
FOLLOW RADFORD MEN'S BASKETBALL
To follow the Radford men's basketball team, visit RadfordAthletics.com, follow @RadfordMBB on Twitter, 'radfordmbb' Instagram or Radford Men's Basketball on Facebook.
Print Friendly Version