Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
MBB Bench

Men's Basketball

HIGHLANDERS BACK IN ACTION AT UNC ASHEVILLE ON SATURDAY


 
RADFORD, Va. – The Radford men's basketball team puts its unbeaten streak on the line when it goes head-to-head with UNC Asheville in Kimmel Arena on Saturday.
 
SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent: UNC Asheville Bulldogs (2-16, 0-4 Big South)
Date/Time: Saturday, January 19 at 4:30 p.m.
Location: Kimmel Arena (Radford, Va.)
Watch Live (ESPN+)
Listen Live (WRAD 101.7 FM)
Live Stats
 
LAST TIME OUT
Playing in front of a rowdy home crowd and the millions more at home watching on ESPNU, the Radford men's basketball team earned a convincing 75-58 victory over Gardner-Webb at the Dedmon Center on Thursday night.
  
Junior guard Donald Hicks played out of his mind, tying his season high with 18 points thanks to a career best-tying six 3-pointers on 11 attempts. Senior forward Ed Polite Jr. had another great game as well, posting 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting with nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.
 
Junior guard Travis Fields Jr. rounded out Radford's top scorers with 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. As a team, the Highlanders went 13-for-26 (50%) from downtown and 28-of-57 (49.1%) from the field.
 
SERIES HISTORY
As one of Radford's oldest rivals, the Highlanders have played UNC Asheville 72 times and both teams currently hold a 36-36 record. The two programs first met in 1986 and most recently split the 2017-18 season series with the home team winning each contest.
 
DISHING OUT ASSISTS
Redshirt sophomore guard Carlik Jones dished out seven assists against Gardner-Webb on Thursday night, giving him 10 games with five or more assists this season. His assists per game average now sits at 5.9 which leads the Big South and ranks 27th in the nation.
 
MOVIN' ON UP
Polite Jr. became one of the top 10 scorers in program history last weekend and on Thursday he moved up to number nine. Now at 1,340 career points, the Lanham, Md. native passed Ron Shelburne (1987-91) who scored 1,332 points as a Highlander and now serves as the team's color commentator on ESPN+.
 
TOP-20 THREE-POINT SHOOTING
After a 13-for-26 night from beyond the arc against Gardner-Webb on Thursday, the Highlanders became one of the top 20 teams in the nation for three-point shooting percentage. At 39.7-percent (160-403) on the year, Radford ranks 11th out of 353 Division I teams.
 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
A lot can change in a year and that has certainly been the case for the UNC Asheville men's basketball program. Following a 21-13 season in which the Bulldogs won the Big South regular season title, head coach Nick McDevitt moved on to Middle Tennessee State and several top players either graduated or transferred to different schools.
 
Now under the direction of first-year head coach Mike Morrell, UNC Asheville is struggling to find its footing and currently sits at 2-16 overall with an 0-4 conference record. Both victories have come at home, but both have also been against non-Division I competition. Just like anyone in the Big South though, the Bulldogs are capable of putting it all together at any moment and earning an upset victory.
 
Freshman guard DeVon Baker leads the Bulldogs with 16.1 points and 3.0 assists per game while sophomore forward Jeremy Peck is tops in rebounding at 4.2 per game. As a team, UNC Asheville is being outscored by 16.4 points per game on average and being held to a 39.4 shooting percentage from the field. Rebounding and turnover margins are also in the negative, making it difficult to win.
 
NEXT HOME GAME
After a pair of road games, the Highlanders continue their quest for a Big South regular season title when they welcome Charleston Southern to the Dedmon Center on Thursday, Jan. 24 at 7 pm. The game marks the first with students back in town following winter break so big crowds are expected. 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.
 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Donald Hicks

#5 Donald Hicks

G
6' 3"
Junior
Carlik Jones

#1 Carlik Jones

G
6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Donald Hicks

#5 Donald Hicks

6' 3"
Junior
G
Carlik Jones

#1 Carlik Jones

6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
G