Men's Basketball 11/25/2018 9:30:00 AM

RADFORD HOSTS GLENVILLE STATE IN RETURN TO DEDMON CENTER

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RADFORD, Va. – The Radford men's basketball team moves on from the Gotham Classic and returns to the Dedmon Center to take on Glenville State on Monday night.

SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent: Glenville State Pioneers (4-1, 0-0 Mountain East)
Date/Time: Monday, Nov. 26 at 7 p.m.
Location: Dedmon Center (Radford, Va.)
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LAST TIME OUT
The Highlanders improved to 4-1 with an 81-72 win over William & Mary thanks to a blazing-hot 58.2 shooting percentage and a clutch defensive performance in the final moments.

With the Highlanders narrowly leading 72-70 in a game that could have gone either way, the defense stepped up in a major way and prevented The Tribe from hitting a single field goal over the final 4-minutes and 49-seconds of the game. Over that span, Radford went on a 9-2 run while recording two blocks and a steal to secure the victory.

Redshirt sophomore guard Carlik Jones was the catalyst for the Highlanders, posting 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Junior guard Travis Fields, Jr. (12), junior guard Donald Hicks (10) and senior guard Caleb Tanner (10) each finished in double figures as well.

SERIES HISTORY
Radford owns a 1-0 all-time record against Glenville State heading into Monday's matchup. The Highlanders earned a 77-55 victory in Radford on Dec. 3, 1994.

RECORD WATCH
Senior forward Ed Polite Jr. has been working his way up the record books this season and looks primed to continue that climb on Monday.

Over his last two games, the Lanham, Md. native has moved from 23^rd to 19^th on the program's all-time scoring list, passing Stephen Barber (1,170, 1988-92), Billy Myers (1,172, 1982-86) and Jason Williams (1,176, 1997-01). With 1,177 career points, Polite Jr.'s next obstacle is legendary Highlander Art Parakhouski who dropped 1,195 points in just two seasons.

Polite Jr. also moved into a tie for fourth on Radford's all-time blocked shots list with Eric Parker (1994-98) at 124 blocks.

AMONG NATION'S LEADERS
Both as individual Highlanders and as a team, Radford is well represented in the national statistical rankings.

Polite Jr. is tied for 10^th in the nation with 11.2 rebounds per game and tied for 13^th with three double-doubles, Sallah is tied for 37^th in the nation with 2.4 blocks per game while Hicks and Tanner are 21^st and 26^th in the nation for 3-point field goal percentage with 56.0% and 54.8% respectively.

As a team, Radford ranks 12^th in the nation for 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 44.5%. Through five games, the Highlanders are 49-for-110 from beyond the arc.

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
The first thing that catches your eye when looking at Glenville State's stats this season are its incredibly high-scoring games. Through five games, the Pioneers are averaging 112.4 points per game and are allowing 112.8 points per game. In a season-opening exhibition, they nearly defeated Marshall by a score of 113-108 on the road.

Five different players are averaging double-figure scoring this season: Darhius Nunn (23.2), Davion Johnson (20.4), Jamal Pollydore (16.0), Phil Bledsoe (16.0) and Kalin Johnson (10.8). The Pioneers are shooting 49.9% from the field, 37.0% from three and 79.2% from the free throw line. If you looked for a weakness, it could be in ball handling and ball security. GSC averages 13.0 turnovers per game and has a -2.6 turnover margin.

Head Coach Justin Caldwell has led Glenville State to a 4-1 record so far in his first season at the helm, already beating expectations. The Pioneers were picked to finish eighth in the Mountain East Conference Preseason Poll and are 1-1 in conference play up to this point.

NEXT HOME GAME
The Highlanders head back out for a five-game road trip before returning to the Dedmon Center on Friday, Dec. 21 to take on Georgia Southern at 7 pm. Tickets can be purchased on RadfordTickets.com or by calling the Radford Ticket Office at (540) 831-7889 during business hours.

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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