Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
donald
60
USC Upstate UPST 11-18 (6-10)
81
Winner Radford RAD 19-9 (14-2)
USC Upstate UPST
11-18 (6-10)
60
Final
81
Radford RAD
19-9 (14-2)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
USC Upstate UPST 30 30 60
Radford RAD 40 41 81

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

MEN’S BASKETBALL HANDLES USC UPSTATE FOR NINTH STRAIGHT WIN

RADFORD, Va. – It was a dominant performance by the Radford men's basketball team in an 81-60 victory over USC Upstate inside the Dedmon Center on Saturday that gave the Highlanders their ninth straight win.
 
Radford (19-9, 14-2 Big South) had quality performances from numerous players including Devine Eke's double-double (11 points and 12 rebounds) and Carlik Jones' 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. However, none were bigger milestone's than Donald Hicks earning his 1,000th career point. He needed nine points to become the 33rd player in program history and had 10 within the first 10 minutes. He finished the game with 12 points – one of four players in double figures.
 
Hicks provided the spark from the start as he scored the first points of the game. That ignited an early 7-0 run from the tip. Radford took its first 10-point lead with 13:36 to play as Lewis Djonkam scored a layup.
 
USC Upstate (11-18, 6-10 Big South) hung in there and cut it to a three-point game, 28-25, with under eight minutes to play. Then the Highlanders took off on a quick 10-0 run that only took 2:22 off the clock. It gave Radford a 38-25 lead, its largest of the first half.
 
The 10-point lead at the half grew to 19-points very quick as the Highlanders got off to a hot start after the intermission – as they've done many times. Jones and Eke combined for nine of the Highlanders' first 11 points of the second half. The hot start to the half gave Radford a 19-point lead, its biggest at the time.
 
The Spartans could never cut the lead to single digits as the Highlanders kept pouring it on. The Highlanders shot 57.1 percent from the floor in the second half and connected on four 3-pointers. Radford ended the game above 50 percent shooting for the seventh time in the nine game wining streak.
 
Radford took its biggest lead at 23 points with 54 seconds on the clock before Everette Hammond hit a jumper with 29 ticks on the clock. The Highlanders dribbled out the final possession and claimed their largest margin of victory in a Big South game this season.
 
DID YOU KNOW…
With the win, the senior class is tied for the most wins in program history over a four-year span. The 2019-20 class is now tied with the 1993-94 class with 78 wins and needs just one more to become the all-time winningest class in program history.
 
STAT OF THE GAME
Radford won its ninth game in a row, which is the longest winning streak since the 2008-09 season. That year the Highlanders won the Big South and made their second-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Radford had 14 players see the floor, while 10 of them scored. The Highlanders had four in double-digits led by Jones' 22 points. Hicks chipped in 12, while Fields Jr., and Eke had 11 each. Eke tied a season-high 12 rebounds and tallied his third double-double this season, including the second in the last four games. Nevin Zink led the Spartans in scoring with 16 points. He was one of two players in double figures. The Highlanders held their leading scorer, Everette Hammond, to just five points all night and 1-of-8 shooting. As a team, USC Upstate was held to just 36.8 percent from the floor and 26.7 percent from long range.
 
TWEET OF THE GAME  
QUOTABLE
"I thought we didn't play great, but we played well in the first half," Mike Jones said. "Second half, we played a little bit better, but overall it's a great win in-conference. Any time you can beat a quality team coached by Dave Dickerson, that's a good win. Proud of our guys, and thankful for the way they played and executed today."
 
UP NEXT
Radford will get ready for another nationally televised game as they travel to Hampton on Thursday at 7 p.m. The game will be aired on ESPNU.
 
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.
 
 
Print Friendly Version