Men's Basketball 1/20/2019 12:20:00 PM

RADFORD-LONGWOOD REMATCH SET FOR MONDAY NIGHT

Follow @RadfordMBB

RADFORD, Va. – After securing a sixth straight win on Saturday, the Radford men's basketball team heads to Farmville, Va. for a rematch with Longwood in search of a 6-0 record in conference play for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.

SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent: Longwood Lancers (12-8, 2-3 Big South)
Date/Time: Monday, January 21 at 7:00 p.m.
Location: Willett Hall (Farmville, Va.)
Watch Live (ESPN+)
Listen Live (WRAD 101.7 FM)
Live Stats

LAST TIME OUT
The Radford men's basketball team stayed composed in crunch time and secured a 71-63 victory over UNC Asheville at Kimmel Arena on Saturday to move to 5-0 in Big South play for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.

Senior forward Ed Polite Jr. served as the team's catalyst once again, posting 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting and 12 rebounds for his 34^th career double-double. Redshirt sophomore Carlik Jones was also impressive, stuffing the stat sheet with 11 points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals. As a team Radford shot 51.0% (25-49), the eighth time this season its shot 50% or better.

SERIES HISTORY
Radford and Longwood have met 30 times over the years with the Highlanders earning a 23-7 lead in the series. Since the Lancers joined the Big South seven seasons ago, Radford has gone 10-4 against its in-state rival and are currently on a six-game winning streak.

When Longwood visited the Dedmon Center earlier this season, the Highlanders earned a 71-64 victory thanks to a 29-for-38 performance at the free throw line. Redshirt sophomore guard Carlik Jones led all scorers with 24 points and junior center Devonnte Holland went off for 16 points and six rebounds.

STARTING LINEUP STABILITY
Coach Jones and his staff have deployed five different starting lineups this season, but one combination has risen above the rest. The quintet of Fields Jr., Jones, Hicks, Polite Jr. and Sallah have now started 11 straight games and are 10-2 when playing together so far this season.

LUCKY NUMBER 70
So far during the 2018-19 season, Radford has put together a perfect 11-0 record when scoring 70 or more points in a game. The Highlanders are 5-0 when scoring between 70-79, 5-0 when scoring between 80-99 and 1-0 when scoring 100 or more. It says a lot about how the defense is playing, which has only given up 70-plus points eight times this season and has yet to allow more than 78 points in a single game.

POLITE POWER
With his 18 points and 12 rebounds against UNC Asheville, senior forward Ed Polite Jr. now has eight double-doubles through 19 games this season which moves him into a tie for 23^rd in the nation.

After making eight shots in back-to-back games, the DuVal High School product entered the program all-time top-10 for career field goals made with 494. He passed Tyrone Travis (89-91, 92-94) who knocked down 493 shots as a Highlander.

SCOUTING THE LANCERS
Longwood has arguably been the Big South's biggest surprise so far this season, already winning 12 games after going 7-23 a year ago. The 2018-19 version of the Lancers became the fastest team in program history to reach double-digit wins since the 2000-01 season with a win over The Citadel on Dec. 29.

The Big South Conference preseason media poll tabbed the Lancers to finish 10th out of 11 teams in the league, keeping expectations low in head coach Griff Aldrich's first year at the helm of the program. Redshirt senior guard Isaiah Walton was named to the Preseason All-Big South Second Team and he's living up to the billing with a team-high 18.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

The addition of junior guard Shabooty Phillips (14.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.9 apg) from Trinity Valley Community College has been a major boost, but the Lancers' biggest improvement is on the defensive end. They currently lead the Big South in scoring defense (67.1 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (.392).

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