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Mawdo Sallah

Men's Basketball

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADS SOUTH TO TAKE ON USC UPSTATE FOR FIRST TIME


 
RADFORD, Va. – The Radford men's basketball team looks to go 2-0 in conference play for the third consecutive season when it faces off with USC Upstate this Thursday night.
 
SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent: USC Upstate Spartans
Date/Time: Thursday, January 10th at 7 p.m.
Location: G.B. Hodge Center (Spartanburg, S.C.)
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LAST TIME OUT
After trailing by as many as 14 points, the Radford men's basketball stormed back with an unrelenting run in the second half to blow past Longwood, 71-64, at the Dedmon Center on Saturday.
 
Still down by double-digits with just seven minutes left to play, the Highlanders dug deep and rode the energy of a big crowd to their largest comeback of the season. Junior center Devonnte Holland got the run started with a spin move in the post and a pair of free throws. Senior forward Ed Polite Jr. then hit two free throws of his own before converting a Travis Fields Jr. steal into a ferocious alley-oop that brought the fans to their feet.
 
It wasn't until the 3:56 mark that Radford managed to come all the way back and tie the game at 57-all following a floater in the lane by redshirt sophomore guard Carlik Jones. Moments later, junior guard Donald Hicks drilled an off-balance jumper as the shot clock expired to give the Highlanders a lead they would never relinquish.
 
Radford finished the game by connecting on 10 straight free throws including eight from Jones to seal the victory. The Cincinnati, Ohio native tied his career high with 24 points on 5-of-10 shooting and a career-best 13-of-15 from the charity stripe. He added seven rebounds and six assists as well.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Thursday's matchup between Radford and USC Upstate will not only be the first time the two programs play as Big South foes, but also the first time they play ever, period.
 
CARLIK JONES NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK
After leading the Radford men's basketball team to a back-to-back wins, redshirt sophomore guard Carlik Jones has been named Big South Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday afternoon.
 
The Cincinnati, Ohio native got the week started with a stellar performance on the road at Maryland, posting 20 points to go along with eight assists and six rebounds. Then after a good showing in limited minutes against Mars Hill, he tied his career high with 24 points against Longwood while supplying seven rebounds and six assists.
 
He shot 51.4-percent (19-37) across the three games and recorded one steal in each contest as well. He showed an incredible ability to get to the charity stripe in Radford's conference-opening win over the Lancers, setting career highs in free throws made (13) and free throws attempted (15).
 
COACHING CONNECTION
USC Upstate's staff features two men with previous coaching experience at Radford. Spartans head coach Dave Dickerson was an assistant coach under Ron Bradley from 1992-96 including the 1993-94 season in which the Highlanders went 20-8 and defeated LSU for one of the biggest victories in program history.
 
Also on USC Upstate's current staff is Ron Bradley himself, the winningest head coach in Radford history. Accumulating 193 wins from 1991-2002, Bradley is a member of the Big South Hall of Fame and most recently served as an assistant coach at Longwood under coach Jayson Gee.
 
HOLLAND'S BREAKTHROUGH
Junior center Devonnte Holland has really burst onto the scene in the Highlanders' last two contests. Entering the Mars Hill game averaging 4.3 points per game, the Martinsville, Va., native has back-to-back games with a career-high 16 points each while shooting a combined 69-percent (11-16) from the field. He also contributed 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a sterling 10-for-11 performance from the free throw line across those two games.
 
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
Entering its first season as a member of the Big South Conference after leaving the Atlantic Sun this summer, USC Upstate has experienced a slow start to the 2018-19 season. The Spartans have played some stiff competition such as South Carolina, N.C. State and Georgia Tech but have yet to earn a signature win.
 
In their first official conference game, they fell 64-61 to Presbyterian College on the road and currently sit at 5-11 overall. The Spartans were picked to finish last in the 11-team league so there's no doubt they'll be carrying an underdog mentality with them as they look to make a splash in the Big South.
 
Senior forward Malik Moore leads the team with 17.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while senior guard Deion Holmes has helped carry the load offensively with 14.4 points per game. The Spartans' greatest strengths come in the form of 3-point field goal defense (.313) and steals per game (7.2) which rank 3rd and 4th in the Big South respectively.
 
NEXT HOME GAME
The Highlanders return to the Dedmon Center on Saturday, Jan. 12 to play Presbyterian College at 4:30 p.m. as a part of a Radford basketball doubleheader. 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.
 
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Players Mentioned

Donald Hicks

#5 Donald Hicks

G
6' 3"
Junior
Devonnte Holland

#15 Devonnte Holland

C
6' 7"
Junior
Carlik Jones

#1 Carlik Jones

G
6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Donald Hicks

#5 Donald Hicks

6' 3"
Junior
G
Devonnte Holland

#15 Devonnte Holland

6' 7"
Junior
C
Carlik Jones

#1 Carlik Jones

6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
G