RADFORD MEETS UNC ASHEVILLE IN SEMIFINALS; 2017 TITLE REMATCH

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Radford advanced to its third straight semifinal appearance with a thrilling 53-51 victory over Gardner-Webb Friday night in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Big South Women's Basketball Championship. The Highlanders will meet third-seeded UNC Asheville in a rematch of the 2017 title game on Saturday at 4 p.m., inside the Vines Center. The Bulldogs are making their third straight semifinal appearance as well.

SETTING THE STAGE
- Date: Saturday, March 10
- Location: Vines Center (Lynchburg, Va.)
- Time: 4 p.m.
- Opponent: UNC Asheville
- Series: Radford leads 49-21
- Live Stats
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- Live Audio
- Game Notes
- Game Day Central
- Tickets

ABOUT LAST NIGHT

Radford's second straight quarterfinal meeting with Gardner-Webb had a Twilight Zone effect as the Highlanders squeaked out a 53-51 victory over the Runnin' Bulldogs on Friday night, advancing to the semifinals for the third consecutive year.
A season ago, Radford held off Gardner-Webb 54-51 on March 10, 2017 in the quarterfinals as the Highlander defense shined in the closing moments of the win. This time around, the ending was eerily similar, except Radford needed to battle back for the victory.
The game saw 12 lead changes and 12 ties, which totaled 11:39 of the 40-minute battle. In the fourth quarter alone, there were four ties as the Highlanders knotted the game each time.
Radford's defense held Gardner-Webb without a field goal for the final 4:13 of regulation as Alexus Hill's layup handed the Runnin' Bulldogs a 50-48 advantage. The Highlanders quickly knotted the game off a nifty move and layup from Claudia Quevedo 20 seconds later. Quevedo added five of her team-high 12 points in the final frame.
With 1:42 remaining in regulation, Tierra Huntsman was fouled on a drive to the basket as she went to the free throw line with a chance to put Gardner-Webb up. Huntsman made only one free throw and Radford's defense forced a Gardner-Webb hurried attempt off the offensive rebound with the shot clock winding down.
The Highlanders raced across the half court line, calling a timeout. Dominating the paint all night, Radford head coach Mike McGuire sketched a play on his whiteboard for the conference's defensive player of the year.
A rough night offensively for Jayda Worthy, she compiled with the play and got the ball at the top of the key off the inbounds pass. Worthy drove on the right side, letting go of a high arcing floater off the top of the glass as the kiss fell in to put Radford ahead 52-51.
Stymieing the Runnin' Bulldog offense down the stretch, Radford's defense forced an awkward layup attempt by Hill as Destinee Walker pulled down the rebound. With a free throw game in front of them, Quevedo was fouled with 19.0 seconds left on the clock, making the backend of the two free throws for a 53-51 lead.
Following a timeout, Gardner-Webb's point guard Ky'Asia Stanford received two opportunities in the final seconds, however Radford towered in the paint. The Highlanders came out of an array of diving bodies with the loose ball rebound, dribbling out the clock to survive and advance.
Radford's second half comeback came after they trailed 27-22 at the break and shooting 21.4 percent in the first 20 minutes.

TOURNEY TIME

Radford is seeking to advance to the Big South Women's Basketball Championship game for the second consecutive season.
The Highlanders picked up a pair of three-point wins in the quarterfinals and semifinals before dropping a 49-48 decision to UNC Asheville in the 2017 championship game.
Radford led for over 37 minutes, however Asheville ended the game on an 8-0 run.
This year marks the 22nd anniversary of the Highlanders' last Big South tournament title (1996). They have reached the championship game three times since then (2007, 2008 and 2017).
The last time Liberty and the Vines Center hosted the Big South Tournament in back-to-back seasons came in 1997 and 1998.
Radford holds a 4-3 record in tournament games played inside the Vines Center.
In regular season games played inside the Vines Center, Radford holds a 6-22 record.

TOURNAMENT RESUME

As the No. 2 seed: 15-6
Record in quarterfinals: 17-10
Record in semifinals: 14-7
Record in championship game: 9-5
Record in tournament opener: 22-11
Record as higher seed: 29-10
Record as lower seed: 11-12
Record in Lynchburg: 4-3
Championships won (last): 9 (1996)
Championships won in Lynchburg: 0

POSTSEASON HONOREES

Earning first team honors for the second time in her career was senior Janayla White, while fellow senior Jayda Worthy was named the league's defensive player of the year in addition to her second team honors.
In all, four Highlanders were recognized, headlined by White and Worthy. Destinee Walker joined the duo with all-conference honors as she earned a spot on the honorable mention team. Redshirt sophomore Jen Falconer was acknowledged on the all-academic team for the first time in her career.
White received two first-place votes and totaled 110 points, finishing 10 points behind Liberty's Keyen Green for the league's player of the year award. Worthy tallied two first-place votes for 17 total points, edging Presbyterian's Cortney Storey for the defensive player of the year honor.
The core of White, Worthy and Walker finished as Radford's top three scorers; responsible for 30.7 of Radford's 61.4 points per game. The same trio earned all-conference a season ago as Radford has placed three players on all-conference teams in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1988-89/1989-90.

ANOTHER ONE FOR MCGUIRE

Mike McGuire was named Big South Coach of the Year for the second time in his five seasons at the helm of the Highlanders.
McGuire donned the honor in 2015 after leading the Highlanders to a 10-win difference in the 2014-15 season.
McGuire led the 2017-18 Highlanders to a 22-7 regular season record and a 15-3 clip in conference play. Radford has won 20 games in back-to-back seasons, marking the first time the Highlanders have done so since the 2006-07/2007-08 campaigns.
The 15 Big South wins set a new program record.
McGuire joins Charlene Curtis as the only two-time winner of the award in program history.
Radford has won the award seven times in its storied program.

THE DEFENSE OF A HIGHLANDER

Fifteen out of Radford's last 16 opponents have been held below 60 points as the Highlanders hold a 32-4 record in the last 62 games when doing so.
The Highlanders have only allowed 60-plus points in three of the 18 league games, all coming as losses.
In the last 17 games, 15 opponents have been held below 40 percent shooting as the Highlanders rank second with a 35.4 field goal defense, which is 16th in the country.
Radford led the Big South in holding opposing league teams to a 33.1 shooting clip during conference play.
The Highlander defense held Big South foes to 48.8 points per game, while ranking fourth nationally with a 52.0 scoring defense.
Radford also ranks 15th nationally with a 27.3 three-point field goal percentage defense.
Radford's defense has forced 18-plus turnovers in 12 games on the season.
Forcing 15.9 turnovers per game, Radford is averaging 11.8 points per game off opponent miscues.
Moving their feet on defense, the Highlanders have only committed 404 fouls, which ranks 10th in the nation, while committing only 13.5 per game to rank 12th.
Sophomore Lydia Rivers and senior Janayla White have led Radford's defense to ranking 25th in the nation in blocked shots per game with 5.1 per game.
Totaling 153 as a team to rank 27th nationally, the duo has blocked 53 each.
Nationally, White ranks 44th with 2.04 per game and Rivers ranks 71st with 1.77.

CRUNCH TIME

Radford has played in 33 games that have been decided by three points or less since the 2014-15 campaign.
The Highlanders have posted a 25-8 mark in those games.
Under head coach Mike McGuire, Radford is 27-12 in games decided by five points or less.

DEUCES ARE WILD!

Radford has already won two championships during the 2017-18 athletic season as the No. 2 seed (Volleyball, Men's Basketball).
The two championships came inside the Dedmon Center as No. 2 seeds, which if you add together is four. Men's basketball won their championship on March 4th.
The Radford women's basketball team enters the tournament as the No. 2 seed.
Head coach Mike McGuire won his second Big South Coach of the Year award.
The Big South's Defensive Player of the Year, Jayda Worthy, wears the number 22.
Janayla White collected her second Big South First Team honor.
Radford's last tournament championship came 22 years ago as the No. 2 seed.
Game time for the championship game is set for 2 p.m.
Also, Radford's path to the championship game will come with game times of 6 p.m., 4 p.m., and 2 p.m.
All of those numbers are divisible by two.

SCOUTING UNC ASHEVILLE

UNC Asheville advanced to the semifinals of the 2018 Big South Women's Basketball Championship with a 47-42 victory over sixth-seeded Campbell.
The win allowed the Bulldogs to pick up their eighth straight Big South Tournament win.
UNC Asheville held Campbell to single-digit scoring in each of the final three quarters of the game. The Bulldogs shot 38.8 percent (19 of 49) as a team in their win, while Campbell shot 28 percent (14 of 50).
Bronaza Fitzgerald paced the Bulldogs with 14 points on 7 for 11 shooting. Khaila Webb was right behind her teammate, as the guard totaled 13 points on 6 for 16 shooting.
Fitzgerald led the Bulldogs with eight rebounds. Jessica Wall grabbed six boards, as she connected with three 3-pointers in the quarterfinal round versus Campbell.

UP NEXT

Saturday's semifinal winner between No. 2 Radford and No. 3 UNC Asheville will advance to Sunday's championship game at 2 p.m., against the victor between No. 1 Liberty and No. 4 High Point.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Jen Falconer: G; 5' 8"; Redshirt Sophomore

#11 Claudia Quevedo: G; 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

#20 Lydia Rivers: F; 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore

#10 Destinee Walker: G/F; 5' 11"; Junior

#21 Janayla White: F; 6' 2"; Senior

#22 Jayda Worthy: F; 6' 0"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#5 Jen Falconer
: 5' 8"; Redshirt Sophomore
: G

#11 Claudia Quevedo
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior
: G

#20 Lydia Rivers
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore
: F

#10 Destinee Walker
: 5' 11"; Junior
: G/F

#21 Janayla White
: 6' 2"; Senior
: F

#22 Jayda Worthy
: 6' 0"; Senior
: F