Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
NCAA BASKETBALL: JAN 24 Charleston Southern vs Radford
Jeff Sochko/timcowiephotography.
81
WINTHROP WINTHROP 17-10, 9-5 BSC
87
Winner Radford RAD 19-8, 11-2 BSC
WINTHROP WINTHROP
17-10, 9-5 BSC
81
Final
87
Radford RAD
19-8, 11-2 BSC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
WINTHROP WINTHROP 39 42 81
Radford RAD 37 50 87

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

HIGHLANDERS TOP WINTHROP, 87-81, TO MAINTAIN FIRST PLACE IN BIG SOUTH


 
HEAD COACH MIKE JONES PRESS CONFERENCE

ED POLITE JR. PRESS CONFERENCE

RADFORD, Va. – The Radford men's basketball team shot 61.3-percent and scored 50 points in the second half to overcome a halftime deficit and earn a season-altering 87-81 victory over Winthrop at the Dedmon Center on Thursday night. Radford improves to 19-8 overall and 11-2 in the Big South to stay atop the conference standings with three games left to go in the regular season.
 
Just like their first meeting with the Eagles this year, the Highlanders trailed by two at halftime and just like that first game the Highlanders shot the lights out over the final 20 minutes. They went 19-for-31 from the floor and 6-for-11 (54.5%) from beyond the arc after halftime in front of a huge crowd.
 
Senior forward Ed Polite Jr. led the way with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting and six rebounds. Redshirt sophomore guard Carlik Jones started the game 0-for-6, but bounced back to go 7-for-9 over the final 24 minutes and finish the game with 16 points, eight assists, four rebounds and four steals.
 
Martinsville native Devonnte Holland was a key player off the bench, contributing 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting and five rebounds. Junior guard Donald Hicks rounded out Radford's top scoring performances, hitting four 3-pointers to score 12 points while pulling down six rebounds.
 
It wasn't quite the start to the game that Coach Jones and the Highlanders envisioned, falling behind 10-0 less than three minutes into the contest. An alley-oop from Jones to Polite Jr. ignited the offense however, beginning a 15-0 run that would get Radford back in front by the under-12 media timeout.
 
The offensive success carried over onto the defensive end as Radford managed to hold the extremely dangerous Winthrop shooters without a single field goal between 17:06 and 9:27. Once the Eagles heated back up, both teams hit four of their final five shots in the half and the visitors took a 39-37 lead into the break.
 
Both squads came out on fire in the second period as well and the Eagles continued to protect a narrow lead for a while. It wasn't until the 5:47 mark that the Highlanders finally managed to find some breathing room, thanks in large part to back-to-back transition threes from Hicks and Polite. The duo turned a 65-all tie into a 71-65 lead for Radford in the blink of an eye.
 
That lead grew to as much as eight with 4:23 to go, but Winthrop refused to back down and eventually made it a four-point game at 81-77 with just over a minute to go. On their next trip down the floor, the Highlanders nearly turned the ball over on a shot clock violation before Hicks recovered an errant pass and drained a deep three from the wing.
 
Three free throws down the stretch from senior guard Caleb Tanner iced the game and the Highlanders held on to record a positive result in one of the biggest games of the year.
 
PLAY OF THE GAME  
THANK YOU DR. BOLIN
Doctor Del Bolin from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) was recognized in a pregame ceremony for his 10 years of outstanding service and care with our student-athletes. Thank you, Dr. Bolin!
19066
 
POLITE PASSES TWO GREATS
With 22 points on Thursday night, senior forward Ed Polite Jr. pushed his career total to 1,468. He climbed up the all-time scoring charts, passing both Don Burgess (1990-94) and Raymond Arrington (1999-03) who poured in 1,452 and 1,456 points as Highlanders.
 
AROUND THE BIG SOUTH
Hampton 86, Longwood 66
Gardner-Webb 65, UNC Asheville 55
Charleston Southern 92, USC Upstate 60
Campbell 61, High Point 48
 
UP NEXT
The Highlanders play their final regular season home game on Saturday, Feb. 23 when Hampton travels across the Commonwealth to the Dedmon Center. It's Senior Day as well so graduating Highlanders Ed Polite Jr., Mawdo Sallah, Caleb Tanner, Tristan Owens and Colton Southall (team manager) will all be honored in a pregame ceremony. 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