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Men's Basketball

HIGHLANDERS CONTINUE NON-CONFERENCE PLAY ON SATURDAY WITH THE OHIO BOBCATS


 
RADFORD, Va. – The Radford men's basketball team will look to bounce back from a rare loss when it takes on the Ohio Bobcats this Saturday.
 
SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent: Ohio Bobcats (5-3, 0-0 MAC)
Date/Time: Saturday, Dec. 8 at 3:30 p.m.
Location: Convocation Center (Athens, Ohio)
Watch (ESPN3)
Listen (WRAD 101.7)
Live Stats
 
LAST TIME OUT
Three-point shooting and rebounding proved to be the difference as Radford dropped a 73-66 decision to James Madison at the JMU Convocation Center on Tuesday night.
 
With 4:16 remaining in regulation, the Highlanders still held a 60-56 lead and were looking strong despite a ferocious comeback effort from the Dukes. That's when JMU senior guard Stuckey Mosley pulled off his most impressive moment of the game, drilling back-to-back improbable threes that would give the Dukes a lead that would last through the finish.
 
Radford nearly battled back, using the press to force three turnovers over the final two minutes and eventually making it a one-point game at 67-66 with 1:27 to go. It wasn't meant to be though, as sophomore guard Matt Lewis hit two free throws and an insurance three from deep to put the game out of reach.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Highlanders are 1-3 all-time against Ohio, dating back to the 1981-82 season. The two sides first met on Jan. 25, 1982 when Radford suffered a 70-54 loss to the Bobcats in Athens.
 
Radford came out victorious in its most recent meeting with Ohio however, earning a 72-63 overtime victory at home on Dec. 1, 1997.
 
FIELDS' STEALS
Junior guard Travis Fields Jr. came off the bench at James Madison and was credited with a career-high six steals across his 30 minutes on the floor. The performance easily eclipses his previous career-high of three, which came against Charleston Southern on January 27th of last season.
 
He's the first Highlander to record 5+ steals in a single game since Carlik Jones had six steals of his own against Winthrop in the Big South semifinals on March 2nd. In both games, Radford finished the game with 10 steals as a team.
 
RADFORD RECORDS UPDATE
With five steals over his last two games, senior forward Ed Polite Jr. is now at 165 for his career has moved into 10th on the all-time career steals chart. He passed Highlander legend and Hall of Famer Don Burgess (1990-94) who finished his career with 162 steals.
 
Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore guard Carlik Jones continues to work his way towards the career points per game Top 10. Averaging 16.0 points per game this season, the Cincinnati, Ohio native is at 12.4 points per game in his career. That puts him just behind Jason Williams (1997-01) and R.J. Price (2011-15) who averaging 12.6 points per game in their time as Highlanders.
 
TWO DEFEATS
It took eight games, but Radford has finally lost twice this season so we decided to take a look at what those two games had in common. It turns out, there was actually a lot in common.
 
For starters, the only two games this season that an opponent has pulled down more rebounds than Radford were against Duquesne and James Madison. Also, both Duquesne and JMU managed to shoot above 40-percent from the floor, make more 3-pointers, and shoot more free throws than the Highlanders. Radford is only 2-2 in games this season where those three things happen.
 
Oddly enough, Radford has posted a higher field goal percentage than its opponent and won the turnover battle in both losses this season.
 
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
The Bobcats are off to a good start in the 2018-19 season, posting a 5-3 record. Their most notable win was a 101-84 thrashing of Marshall, who appeared in the NCAA Tournament last season. Ohio also has a Big South victory already, topping Campbell 81-73 back on Nov. 12.
 
Redshirt sophomore forward Jason Carter leads the Bobcats with 19.3 points per game and is second on the team with 7.5 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Teyvion Kirk (15.6) and Redshirt freshman forward Ben Vander Plas (11.3) also average double-figure scoring.
 
As a team, Ohio is only shooting 27.3-percent from three and 67.6-percent from the free throw line. Their biggest strength comes in rebounding, where they're averaging 42.1 rebounds per game and a +8.5 rebounding margin. The Mac Preseason Poll tabbed the Bobcats to finish fourth in the East Division behind Buffalo, Miami (OH) and Kent State.
 
NEXT HOME GAME
The Highlanders continue their 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' on Instagram or Radford Men's Basketball on Facebook.
 
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Players Mentioned

R.J. Price

#10 R.J. Price

G
5' 11"
Junior
Carlik Jones

#1 Carlik Jones

G
6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore

Players Mentioned

R.J. Price

#10 R.J. Price

5' 11"
Junior
G
Carlik Jones

#1 Carlik Jones

6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
G