RADFORD IGNITES NEW RIVALRY WITH HAMPTON ON ESPNU THURSDAY NIGHT

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RADFORD, Va. – The Radford men's basketball team will have a Big South battle with conference newcomer Hampton when the two programs meet in the HU Convocation Center on Thursday night.

SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent: Hampton Pirates (10-11, 5-3 Big South)
Date/Time: Thursday, February 7 at 7 p.m.
Location: HU Convocation Center (Hampton, Va.)
Television: ESPNU
Watch Live (ESPN3)
Listen Live (WRAD 101.7 FM)
Live Stats

LAST TIME OUT
A dominant effort in the second half and another premier performance from redshirt sophomore guard Carlik Jones fueled the Radford men's basketball team in an 80-61 victory over Winthrop at the Winthrop Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.

Trailing by two at halftime, the Highlanders came out of the locker room with a renewed sense of purpose knowing that they didn't want to lose another game following a heartbreaker at home on Wednesday. That motivation helped them outscore the Eagles, 50-31, over the final 20 minutes.

Radford shot 61.5-percent (16-for-26) from the field and 54.5-percent (6-for-11) from three in that second half while holding Winthrop to a lowly 27.6 (8-for-29) shooting percentage and 7.1-percent (1-for-14) from beyond the arc. The Eagles came into the game averaging 86.1 points per game and were held 25 points below that average output.

Jones led the way with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting, 10 rebounds and six assists for his fourth career double-double including three this season. Junior guard Travis Fields Jr. poured in 16 points, senior guard Caleb Tanner added 11 points and senior forward Ed Polite Jr. just missed a double-double of his own with nine points and 11 rebounds.

SERIES HISTORY
In six all-time meetings between Radford and Hampton, the series is knotted in a 3-3 tie. The Highlanders grabbed a 77-68 victory down in the 757 on Jan. 7, 2000 to kick things off and most recently dropped a 60-87 decision on the road on Jan. 4, 2014.

In that 2014 contest, Kion Brown posted a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double while Ya Ya Anderson contributed 13 points. The Highlanders shot 37 free throws and the Pirates shot 38 in a game full of whistles.

COMEBACK KIDS
While taking a lead into halftime is always the goal, the Highlanders have shown that they can make the necessary adjustments when trailing to come back for the win. When either tied or trailing through 20 minutes of action this season, Radford has earned seven wins. For comparison, the team only had six wins when tied or trailing at halftime in 2017-18 and only three wins in those scenarios in 2016-17.

CLUTCH HUTCH(INSON)
Junior guard Devin Hutchinson has primarily come off the bench this season, but he's still one of the top three-point shooters on the Radford roster. Through 23 games, the Charlotte, N.C. native has made at least one long ball 15 times and in seven straight games dating back to Jan. 12 vs. Presbyterian. He also has eight performances with multiple threes in the same game.

SCOUTING THE PIRATES
Hampton moved out of the MEAC and into the Big South in the summer of 2018 and expectations were high right away. The conference's Preseason Poll tabbed the Pirates to finish third out of 11 teams and junior guard Jermaine Marrow was immediately named Preseason All-Conference. Now through 21 games, the new kids on the block are 10-11 overall and 5-3 against Big South opposition.

As the nation's seventh-leading scorer, there are no doubts that Marrow has lived up to his billing. The Newport News, Va. native is averaging 24.4 points per game while also leading his team in assists at 5.2 per game. Senior guard Kalin Fisher is quietly having a strong season as well, scoring 14.9 points with 5.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

The Pirates rank in the top-100 out of 353 Division I teams in the nation in several statistical categories including rebounds per game (19^th), free throw percentage (free throws made (41^st), fewest turnovers (54^th) and in field goal percentage defense (80^th). Hampton also leads the Big South in home attendance with 3,843 fans giving them a strong home court advantage on average.

NEXT HOME GAME
Radford returns to the Dedmon Center on Saturday, Feb. 9 to host High Point and its new head coach, Tubby Smith. The game is slated for a 4 p.m. start and will be broadcast live on ESPN+. 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

#00 Kion Brown: F; 6' 7"; Senior

#1 Carlik Jones: G; 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore

#10 Caleb Tanner: G; 6' 1"; Senior

#0 Devin Hutchinson: G; 6' 5"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#00 Kion Brown
: 6' 7"; Senior
: F

#1 Carlik Jones
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore
: G

#10 Caleb Tanner
: 6' 1"; Senior
: G

#0 Devin Hutchinson
: 6' 5"; Junior
: G