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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Carlik Jones
69
Radford RAD 6-3
78
Winner Ohio 0HIO 6-3
Radford RAD
6-3
69
Final
78
Ohio 0HIO
6-3
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Radford RAD 26 43 69
Ohio 0HIO 32 46 78

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

RADFORD'S COMEBACK BID FALLS SHORT IN LOSS AT OHIO


 
ATHENS, Ohio – The Radford men's basketball team never let up in its comeback effort, but couldn't overcome an early deficit and continuous foul trouble in a 78-69 defeat against Ohio at The Convocation Center on Saturday afternoon.
 
In a game that felt like the Highlanders were playing against more than just the other team, Radford was whistled for 21 fouls compared to just 13 for the Bobcats. As a result, Ohio went 20-for-25 from the free throw line while Radford finished 7-for-12.
 
Senior guard Caleb Tanner went off for 16 points, going 5-for-6 from deep, and junior guard Travis Fields Jr. was nearly as good, going 4-for-6 on 3-pointers to match his career high and finish with 14 points. Playing in his home state, redshirt sophomore guard Carlik Jones made just one of his first six shots before going 5-for-7 over the final 12 minutes and scoring 16 points.
 
With the loss, Radford moves to 6-3 on the season while Ohio improves to 6-3. It's the first time the Highlanders have dropped back-to-back games since February of last season, snapping a 19-game streak without two straight losses.
 
You'd be hard pressed to see a slower start from the Highlanders, who trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half. Neither team could find the bottom of the net early, but the Bobcats struck first with a layup at the 17:41 mark. They would go ahead, 8-0, before a Fields Jr. jumper stopped the bleeding at 14:43.
 
With under eight minutes to go in the period, Radford was just 4-for-18 (22%) from the floor and trailing by a large margin. That's when junior guard Devin Hutchinson drilled a three from the wing to begin a 7-0 run that got the Highlanders right back in it.
 
Tanner, who had just five 3-pointers over his last five games, picked up where Hutchinson left off and connected on three straight shots from beyond the arc to pull Radford within three at 29-26 until one final Ohio basket made it 32-26 heading into halftime.
 
The offensive momentum carried over into the second half as the Highlanders posted 43 points over the final 20 minutes, but any progress made was eventually erased by Ohio's free throw shooting.
 
At the midway point of the second half, Radford had battled back and pulled within three once again at 48-45. It was as close as Radford would get for the rest of the game as the Bobcats proceeded to hit five straight free throws to stay out in front. Ohio knocked down 17 free throws over the final 9:34 to protect its lead and eventually earn the victory.
 
Jason Carter led the Bobcats with 19 points and six rebounds while Teyvion Kirk (17 points, six rebounds) and Ben Vander Plas (14 points, five rebounds) joined him in double figures. Doug Taylor made the biggest impact on the game, pulling down 16 rebounds, including five on the offensive end, to help Ohio earn a 39-31 advantage in rebounding.
 
PLAY OF THE GAME  
BATTLE IN THE PAINT
Shooting just 27.3-percent on 3-pointers coming into Saturday night's game, everyone knew that Ohio would have to score near the basket. Despite Radford's best efforts, the Bobcats dominated down low and earned a 46-22 advantage on points in the paint while hitting just four shots from long range.
 
POLITE CLIMBS CAREER STEALS LIST
After entering Radford's all-time career steals list last week, senior forward Ed Polite Jr. has moved into a tie for eighth after nabbing two more against Ohio. Now at 167 career steals, he has passed R.J. Price (2011-15), who had 166, and is tied with Chris Hawkins (1989-92).
 
QUOTABLE
"Ohio is a really good team that is very well coached so it's not going to be easy ever when you come into this arena. Their offense is difficult to defend against, they've got a lot of size and they're physical. We gave it everything we had to come back, but we had just enough little defensive breakdowns to prevent us from getting the stops we needed to win this game." – Head Coach Mike Jones
 
UP NEXT
The Highlanders will have a week to rest up before hitting the road once again, this time to South Carolina where they will take on the Clemson Tigers on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 3 p.m. in Littlejohn Coliseum.
 
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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