MEN'S BASKETBALL MAKES RETURN TRIP TO HIGH POINT WEDNESDAY NIGHT

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RADFORD, Va. – After dropping two of its last three games, the Radford men's basketball team will look to get back on track when it travels to North Carolina for a showdown with High Point on Wednesday.

SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent: High Point Panthers (15-13, 8-6 Big South)
Date/Time: Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
Location: Millis Center (High Point, N.C.)
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LAST TIME OUT
A late comeback bid fell just short as the Radford men's basketball team dropped a 77-74 decision to Hampton at the Dedmon Center on Saturday.

Things were all tied up at 55 with eight minutes left in regulation before the Pirates sunk their next five shots to go on a 12-2 run that would completely turn of tide of the game. Despite the Highlanders' best effort down the stretch, Hampton protected its lead with reliable free throw shooting and a solid defensive game plan.

In fact, Hampton's star guard Jermaine Marrow hit seven free throws in the final 44 seconds. Redshirt sophomore Carlik Jones drained a long three as the clock ticked down to zero, leaving Radford with no time to continue the fight.

SERIES HISTORY
Radford holds a 25-21 advantage through 46 all-time meetings with High Point including a 78-76 overtime victory that featured Carlik Jones' first career buzzer-beater in the Millis Center last season.

In their first game this year, the Highlanders topped the Panthers 69-66 in overtime once again. Junior guard Donald Hicks exploded for 18 points, Jones went for 14 points, five rebounds and five assists and Travis Fields Jr. added 10 points.

Radford and High Point play each other so close every time they meet that the last six games between them have been decided by a combined 13 points. That's an average of 2.2 points per game separating them. In fact, four of those six games have needed overtime to decide a winner.

CARLIK'S ASSISTS
Carlik Jones continues to rack up the assists this season, reaching a career-high 158 through 26 games played so far. That tally ranks fourth in single-season program history behind only Brian Schmall (216, 1992-93), Amir Johnson (172, 2008-099) and Amir Johnson again (166, 2009-10). At 6.1 assists per game, Jones also ranks 18^th in the nation this season.

PAINT POINTS
One area of the game against Hampton that the Highlanders completely dominated in was points in the paint. They outscored the Pirates, 38-22, in the category and have earned a 98-52 advantage over the last three games combined.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
In their first season under high-profile head coach Tubby Smith, the High Point Panthers are 15-13 overall and are tied for fifth in the Big South standings at 8-6. They have won two of their last three games with victories over Hampton (86-81) and Gardner-Webb (87-79).

Junior guard Jahaad Proctor is the clear cut leader of HPU's program and his stats show it. He leads the team and ranks third in the Big South with 19.1 points per game while contributing 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as well. Fellow junior guard Brandonn Kamga also averages double figures with 13.8 points per game. Senior forward Ricky Madison is one of the conference's top rebounders with 8.5 rebounds per contest.

High Point is one of only four teams in the Big South that average less than 70 points per game as a team, but they more than make up for it on the defensive end with only 67.7 points allowed on average to lead the conference. The Panthers are last in free throw percentage and 3-point percentage, but lead everyone in rebounding margin.

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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