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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Khiana dribbling by defender
Radford Athletics Communications
62
Winner Radford RAD 5-10,3-3 Big Sou
61
Longwood LWU 8-7,4-2 Big Sout
Winner
Radford RAD
5-10,3-3 Big Sou
62
Final
61
Longwood LWU
8-7,4-2 Big Sout
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Radford RAD 23 8 20 11 62
Longwood LWU 10 16 13 22 61

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

RADFORD OUTLASTS LONGWOOD IN THRILLER BEHIND JOHNSON’S CAREER DAY

FARMVILLE, Va.—In the closest game of the season thus far, Radford's (5-10, 3-3 Big South) defense held firm in the waning moments of the fourth quarter as Longwood (8-7, 7-4 Big South) launched up several shots. The Highlanders outlasted the Lancers 62-61, propelled by Khiana Johnson's newly set career high 20 points. 
 
Johnson wasted no time getting Radford on the board, with her three-pointer coming nearly 28 seconds into the game. And, from there the Highlanders never looked back.
 
At the end of the first quarter six different players had scored for Radford, with Bryonna McClean's paint jumper sealing the stanza with eight seconds to go. The Highlanders led 23-10. 
 
The Lancers responded in the following period holding the visiting team to only eight points while doubling that offensive output. Nonetheless, Radford entered halftime leading 31-26. By this time Johnson was already halfway to her total. 
 
There was no drop-off in production after the break, with Johnson turning her attention to the paint this time. Longwood quietly inched their way back into the ball game, even cutting the Radford lead to three at one point. A Highlander 8-0 run would close out the third and increase the deficit back to 12 via a Makaila Wilson three. 
 
Longwood was able to garner 22 points in the fourth quarter in comparison to Radford's 11, while shaving the aforementioned double-digit lead. A Lancer jumper was responded to by a Sydney Nunley fastbreak layup to maintain the Highlanders position. The same came moments later as Johnson's jumper kept the lead at 12. However, a 6-0 Longwood run and some missed Radford opportunities put the score at 55-51. 
 
After a Highlander timeout, the deficit would bounce around but never reach below four points. Not until back-to-back three pointers from Kyla McMakin now left the Radford lead at one point, 62-61, with 43 seconds remaining. 
 
Head Coach Mike McGuire called a timeout to talk over the remainder of the game, moments later a foul out puts Tina Lindenfeld in the game for Aiden Rainford with 17 seconds left. Longwood calls their 30 second timeout to design a play for the hot-handed McMakin. With her shot off to the right, the Lancers grabbed the offensive rebound and took two more shots to no avail as the buzzer sounded.
 
HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHT
Through her 36 minutes played, Johnson set a new scoring career high of 20 points. Her previous high was 19 points against Campbell last season. She added three assists, a rebound, steal, while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 75 percent from behind the arc. This is the ninth time she's scoring in double figures this season. 
 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE 
In 20 minutes off the bench, Nunley was a force to be reckoned with on the low block. She posted her third double-double of the season and 15th of her career. Nunley was 5-for-9 from the floor and sent back a pair of Lancer shots. Her 10 points paired well with her season high 13 rebounds.
 
TWEET OF THE GAME 
 
QUOTABLE 

"I thought we played a pretty solid first half. We had adjust, we had a little foul trouble adversity," said coach McGuire. "They were 12-for-16 at the line in the first half, but other than that I thought we played a pretty solid first half. Longwood is a really good team and Coach Tillett is doing an awesome job. We knew this was going to be a dog fight with the way they've been playing so well lately."

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 
The Highlanders were able to establish themselves in the painted area and notched 32 points to the Lancers' 22. The bench for Radford provided a huge lift for the starters and produced 27 points. On the glass, one rebound separate these teams from one another with the Highlanders posting 42 boards to 41. Points off turnovers were tied at 19. 
 
UP NEXT 
Radford returns home to the Dedmon Center to host Winthrop on Saturday, Jan. 18th at 2:00 p.m. Tickets and popcorn are $1 each, and stick around after the game for post-game autographs!
 
FOLLOW RADFORD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
For more information on the Radford women's basketball team follow @Radford_WBB on Twitter and Instagram or Radford Women's Basketball on Facebook.
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