RADFORD PREPARES FOR FRIDAY NIGHT SHOWDOWN WITH GEORGIA SOUTHERN

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RADFORD, Va. – The Radford men's basketball team plays in front of its home crowd for the first time in nearly a month when it welcomes Georgia Southern to the Dedmon Center on Friday.

SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent: Georgia Southern Eagles
Date/Time: Friday, December 21 at 6 p.m.
Location: Dedmon Center (Radford, Va.)
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LAST TIME OUT
Cold shooting down the stretch doomed the Highlanders as they fell in a heartbreaking 65-58 loss to UNC Greensboro at the Greensboro Coliseum on Tuesday night.

With 7:49 left to play in the contest, redshirt sophomore guard Carlik Jones drove past the defense and made a wide open layup to give the Highlanders a 50-49 lead. Following that shot, Radford went 2-for-14 as a team and was outscored 16-8 over the final 7:48 of the game.

Senior forward Ed Polite Jr. contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season and 32^nd of his career. Going 5-for-6 from the free throw line, he was the only Highlander to shoot a free throw in the entire game.

SERIES HISTORY
Radford is still looking for its first win against Georgia Southern. The last meeting between the two programs came on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016 when the Eagles just barely escaped with a 65-64 win. The game was part of the Savannah Invitational in Savannah, Ga. where the Highlanders also earned an 80-66 victory against Stetson. The last time Georgia Southern played in Radford was on Nov. 27, 1984.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The Dedmon Center will be a beautiful sight for Coach Jones and his squad on Friday night. The Highlanders are 3-0 at home this season and are riding a six-game winning streak in the New River Valley. Radford is 60-22 at home since the 2012-13 season.

TANNER'S 3-POINTERS STREAK
Tanner drilled his first two 3-point attempts against UNCG and finished the game with three total. He has now made at least one 3-pointer in 13 straight games dating back to March 13, 2018 against LIU Brooklyn in the NCAA Tournament.

The Floyd, Va. native also moved up in the record books and now ranks ninth in school history for career 3-point field goals made with 180. He passed Kenny Thomas (2005-09) who hit 178 shots from beyond the arc in his time as a Highlander.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Thanks in large part to its prolific offense, Georgia Southern is 8-3 on the season including wins in three of its last four games. The Eagles enter Friday's contest ranked fifth in the nation with a 51.4 field goal percentage and ninth in the nation with 88.7 points per game. They've mastered the art of turning defense into offense and it shows in their 18.7 forced turnovers per game which ranks eighth in the country.

The 2018-19 Sun Belt Coaches' Preseason Poll pegged the Eagles to finish second in the 12-team conference, sitting only behind in-state rival Georgia State. Senior guard Tookie Brown, who was a First Team All-Sun Belt selection, is their only player to start all 11 games this season and leads the team with 16.2 points and 4.9 assists per game.

Three other Georgia Southern players are averaging double-digit points and a whopping 12 total players average multiple points per game. They're not a great three-point shooting team though, hitting just 28.6-percent of their attempts from beyond the arc.

NEXT HOME GAME
The Highlanders kick off the new year with one final non-conference game against Mars Hill on Tuesday, Jan. 1. The game is slated for 3 p.m. and will be aired live on ESPN+ per usual. 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' on Instagram or Radford Men's Basketball on Facebook.

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Players Mentioned

#1 Carlik Jones: G; 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#1 Carlik Jones
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore
: G

Players Mentioned

#1 Carlik Jones

Players Mentioned

#1 Carlik Jones