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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Jones-20180313
Ryan Meyer
61
LIU Brooklyn LIUMBB 18-17
71
Winner Radford RAD 23-12
LIU Brooklyn LIUMBB
18-17
61
Final
71
Radford RAD
23-12
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
LIU Brooklyn LIUMBB 28 33 61
Radford RAD 30 41 71

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

RADFORD EARNS FIRST EVER NCAA TOURNAMENT VICTORY


 
GAME INFORMATION
  • Score: Radford 71, LIU Brooklyn 61
  • Records: Radford (23-12) | LIU Brooklyn (18-17)
  • Location: UD Arena | Dayton, Ohio
 
DAYTON, Ohio – Junior forward Ed Polite, Jr. recorded his 27th career double-double while redshirt freshman guard Carlik Jones recorded his first to lead the No. 16 Radford men's basketball team to a 71-61 win over No. 16 LIU Brooklyn, the first NCAA Tournament win in program history.
 
The Highlanders advance to the First Round of the Big Dance where they will meet No. 1 Villanova in Pittsburgh on Thursday, March 15 at 6:50 p.m. The win also gives Radford 23 on the season, setting a new school record by surpassing the 22 wins of 1990-91, 2013-14 and 2014-15.
 
Jones was phenomenal, stuffing the stat sheet with 12 points on 6-for-14 shooting, a career-high 11 rebounds and seven assists as he entered a triple-double watch. He recorded two steals to round out a great day.
 
Polite, Jr., struggled from the floor, going 3-for-10 after starting the game 3-for-3 in the first three minutes, but he made up for it in other ways. He finished with 13 points thanks to a 7-for-8 day at the free throw line, 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals. His two steals tie him with Javonte Green (2013-14) for the Radford single-season steals record at 68.
 
The Highlanders got off to a fast start, beginning the game 4-for-4 from the field after senior guard Christian Bradford's second layup of the game made it 8-3 less than three minutes in.
 
Their hot shooting continued as the lead reached a game-high nine points thanks to a nifty spin move and finish at the rim by Polite, Jr. to make it 18-9 with 13:24 to go in the half.
 
LIU Brooklyn struggled to find its rhythm on offense going up against one of the nation's top defenses in Radford. Of their first 19 shots, 12 of them were from three-point range, connecting on only two of them. The Blackbirds changed their strategy from there, driving into the paint on nearly every possession for the rest of the half.
 
They ended the period making four of their five final shots to trim Radford's lead to 30-28 as each team made their way to the locker room. Of the 58 combined points scored in the first half, 38 were scored in the paint as the Highlanders and Blackbirds combined to go 5-for-20 from beyond the arc.
 
It was the Travis Fields, Jr., show in the second half as the sophomore guard scored 10 of his 13 points after halftime. With 16:35 left to go, back-to-back 3-pointers gave the Blackbirds a 38-35 lead, their first advantage since they led 3-2 at the 19:17 mark in the first half.
 
Luckily for the Highlanders, Fields, Jr. was there to punctuate a 9-0 run with two silky smooth jump shots that regained the lead at 44-38.
 
An 18-6 run where Radford went 7-for-8 from the floor returned its lead to as many as nine in the second half, but the Blackbirds battled back each time the Highlanders looked to pull away.
 
A stretch that lasted more than four minutes went by without a field goal for the Highlanders, allowing LIU Brooklyn to pull within one at 56-55 with 5:07 left in regulation.
 
Radford's defense came up huge again, however, holding LIU without a field goal of their own for the final 6:47 of the game. Free throws weren't enough for the Blackbirds to keep up with Radford, who ended the game on a 10-2 run and came away with the victory.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Radford is now 1-1 all-time against LIU Brooklyn after earning a win over the Blackbirds seven years after their first meeting
  • Coach Jones and his staff went with the starting lineup of Jones, Bradford, Hicks, Polite Jr. and Phillips. Radford is now 17-8 when those five players start
  • After tying the school record for single-season steals, Polite, Jr. now has 150 for his career
  • The Highlanders are now 18-3 when leading at halftime
  • Radford's 15 turnovers break its streak of four consecutive games with under 10 committed turnovers
  • Tuesday was the first time Radford has been called for more than 20 fouls committed since being whistled 22 times against Gardner-Webb on Feb. 1
  • Radford finished with 36 points in the paint compared to 24 for LIU Brooklyn
  • In typical fashion, the Highlanders' bench outscored the Blackbirds, 27-7
  • Radford assisted on 17 on 28 baskets
 
UP NEXT
  • Radford advances in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history and will face No. 1 Villanova on Thursday, March 15 in Pittsburgh
  • Tip-off is set for 6:50 p.m., ET and will be broadcast live on TNT.
 
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