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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
donald hicks
63
Winner Radford RAD 9-7,4-0 Big Sout
59
USC Upstate USCU 7-10,2-2 Big Sou
Winner
Radford RAD
9-7,4-0 Big Sout
63
Final
59
USC Upstate USCU
7-10,2-2 Big Sou
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Radford RAD 33 30 63
USC Upstate USCU 32 27 59

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

MEN’S BASKETBALL STORMS BACK TO DEFEAT USC UPSTATE

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Radford men's basketball team erased a 10-point deficit against USC Upstate and came out victorious, 63-59, at the G.B. Hodge Center on Thursday night.
 
Donald Hicks, Travis Fields, Jr., and Carlik Jones led the ferocious comeback as all three players ended the night in double-figure scoring. The trio of players knocked down clutch shots from long range and from the free throw line in the late minutes of the game.
 
Jones did what he does best leading all players with 23 points as well as tacking on six assists and two rebounds. The redshirt junior had another stellar night from the free throw line going a perfect 9-for-9. None were bigger than his final two that iced the game for the Highlanders (9-7, 4-0 Big South) with 11 seconds left. Hicks tacked on 13 points with three 3-pointers and Fields Jr., added 10 points with a pair of long balls.
 
Hicks knocked down two free throws that tied the game at 54 with 4:01 to play and removed a 10-point USC Upstate lead. Jones gave Radford its first lead of the second half on the next trip down the floor with a layup. Then Fields Jr., hit a 25-foot jump shot that increased the lead to five, 59-54, with 1:20 remaining in the second half.
 
USC Upstate (7-10, 2-2 Big South) answered and made it a one score game with 1:05 to play. On the ensuing possession Jones missed a mid-range jumper and the Spartans had a chance to tie but freshman Tommy Bruner – who lead the team with 19 points – missed a layup and Fields Jr., came down with the board. The senior was fouled and knocked down two big free throws pushing the Radford lead to six, 61-56, with 21 seconds.
 
After another Spartan miss, Jones was fouled and sent to the line. He converted his eighth and ninth free throws with 11 ticks on the clock. His final two foul shots made it a seven-point game, 63-56.
 
Cartier Jernigan tried to get a quick score but Devine Eke had other plans. The graduate transfer sent Jernigan's shot flying back to where it came from for his season-best third block of the night and 100th of his career. The Highlanders recorded a season-high eight blocks as a team on Thursday.
 
Out of the inbound pass, Everette Hammond hit a consolation 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds but there wasn't enough time for USC Upstate to extend the game as time expired with the ball in the hands of Jones.
 
Radford had a 20-12 lead with 8:36 left in the first half but USC Upstate went on a 13-0 run to take its second lead of the game, 25-20. Tommy Bruner led the way with 11 points during the run. The Spartans maintained their five-point cushion until Radford closed out the first half scoring five unanswered – all coming from Jones – as part of an 8-2 run over the final 2:01.
 
Out of the break and down by one, the Spartans used a run of their own scoring 11 straight and taking a 43-33 advantage. Each team traded a bucket but Upstate still clung to a double-digit advantage with 14:39 to play in the game.
 
The Highlanders kept chipping away at the lead and used on a 19-9 run to knot things up at 54 before taking the final lead of the game.
 
Thursday night marks the first time Radford overcame a double-digit deficit and won this season. It's also the first it has happened since March 8, 2019 when the Highlanders came back from a 13-point deficit against Charleston Southern to win 63-54.
 
STAT OF THE GAME
Radford's eight blocks are the most this season and are the most since Jan. 7, 2017 when Radford had eight at Presbyterian. Earlier that season the Highlanders tallied nine against Elon on Dec. 10, 2016.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
It was a poor shooting night for both teams as the two shot under 40 percent from the field and were at or barely above 25 percent from 3-point range. Devonnte Holland pulled down a game-high eight boards and tallied a season-high three blocks. Eke added seven rebounds to his three-block night and four points. USC Upstate shot better from the charity stripe and outrebounded Radford, 39-33. The Spartans had four players in double-figures led by Bruner's 19.
 
TWEET OF THE GAME  
QUOTABLE
"I thought we turned it up the last 10 minutes of the second half," Mike Jones opened. "Dave (Dickerson) is doing a great job with his team. It was blow-for-blow and we had to make plays. Thank goodness we've got experienced players that have been in these types of situations. There was no panic with our guys and they were able to close out a great win."
 
UP NEXT
Radford will continue its South Carolina road swing traveling 40 miles south to Clinton for a date with Presbyterian on Saturday at 4 p.m. Along with the Highlanders, the Blue Hose carry a 4-0 Big South record into the contest.
 
FOLLOW RADFORD MEN'S BASKETBALL
To follow the Radford men's basketball team, visit RadfordAthletics.com, follow @RadfordMBB on Twitter, 'radfordmbb' Instagram or Radford Men's Basketball on Facebook.
 
 
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