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Donald Hicks vs. Duquesne
64
Radford RAD 3-1
69
Winner Duquesne DUQ 3-0
Radford RAD
3-1
64
Final
69
Duquesne DUQ
3-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Radford RAD 36 28 64
Duquesne DUQ 34 35 69

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

HIGHLANDERS FALL IN DEFENSIVE BATTLE WITH DUQUESNE


 
AKRON, Ohio – The Radford men's basketball team couldn't overcome a stretch of cold shooting in the second half and fell, 69-64, to Duquesne in the LeBron James Arena at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School on Saturday.
 
Senior forward Ed Polite Jr. had yet another impressive game, posting his 3rd double-double of the year with 11 points and a season-high 15 rebounds. The Lanham, Md. native also provided three steals, an assist and a block.

Graduate center Mawdo Sallah had his best game in a Radford uniform yet, stuffing the stat sheet with 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting, five rebounds and three blocks. Redshirt sophomore guard Carlik Jones returned to the court and played well, contributing 14 points, four assists, four steals and three rebounds.
 
A full-court press by the Dukes (3-0, 0-0 A-10) made things difficult for Radford (3-1, 0-0 Big South) from the opening tip. After a fast break slam by graduate student center Mawdo Sallah, the game evolved into a back-and-forth affair that tested the toughness of both teams.
 
Jones drilled a three from the corner at the 12:34 mark to push Radford's lead to 15-11, but Duquesne came charging back with a 12-2 run to jump out in front 23-17 just four minutes later.
 
The Highlanders only went 1-for-7 (14.3%) from long range in the half, so it had to rely on its ability to drive to the basket. They scored 24 points in the paint in the first half alone, including a breakaway layup in the final seconds of the period by Jones, to take a 36-34 lead into the break.
 
Fouls and cold shooting became the story in the second half, allowing Duquesne to take control of the game late. After leading 53-52 with 8:11 remaining in regulation, the Highlanders went scoreless until the 3:52 mark and the Dukes went on an 11-0 run to turn their one-point deficit into an eight-point lead.

Radford still found a way to battle back, making it 60-63 with 1:39 to go after a Sallah layup and three free throws from junior guard Donald Hicks. Despite the comeback effort, Duquesne was able to hit timely shots and several free throws to ice the game.
 
Sophomore guard Eric Williams Jr. posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds while junior guard Mike Lewis II led the Dukes added 15 points and sophomore center Michael Hughes chipped in 10 points.

The Highlanders shot just 34.8-percent (8-for-23) from the floor in the second half and 27.8-percent (5-for-18) on 3-pointers for the entire game. They did win the turnover battle, forcing 16 Duquesne turnovers and racking up eight steals.
 
PLAY OF THE GAME  
REBOUNDING MACHINE
With 5:16 left on the clock in the first half, Polite Jr. pulled down his 846th career rebound. That gives him sole possession of second place on the Radford all-time career rebounding list, moving him past Hall of Famer Chris Oliver (2003-07). The only player left in front of Polite Jr. is Javonte Green, who pulled down 1,064 rebounds in his career.
 
SHARING THE BALL
After posting 24 assists in the season opener, Radford's assist numbers had dropped to 16 and eight in the subsequent two games. The Highlanders got back to their old ways on Saturday, however, earning 17 assists on 23 made field goals. Junior guard Travis Fields Jr. was a big reason why thanks to a career-high seven assists.
 
BENCH SUPPORT
The Highlanders' bench scoring was a huge factor in their 2017-18 championship run so it's certainly something to keep an eye on in 2018-19. After only eight points came from the bench against Notre Dame, Radford got a season-high 21 bench points against the Dukes.
 
UP NEXT
The Highlanders continue their three-game road trip and complete the Gotham Classic with a game at William & Mary on Tuesday, Nov. 20. The contest is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va.
 
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.
 
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