RADFORD, Va. – The Radford men's basketball team overcame a cold shooting night and a late comeback effort to defeat Hampton, 54-51, on Carilion Clinic Court at the Dedmon Center on Wednesday night.
 
The Highlanders (6-11, 2-3 Big South) earn their second Big South win of the season while keeping the Pirates (4-10, 0-3 Big South) winless in conference play. Junior big man Shaquan Jules was the driving force in the victory, posting an 11-point, 14-rebound double-double.
 
His 14 rebounds were a career-high and he added two blocks for good measure. Redshirt-junior Dravon Mangum also had a big night, stuffing the stat sheet with 13 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.
 
As a team, the Highlanders shot just 31.3% (20-64) from the field including an uncharacteristic 22.2% (6-27) from three. At the same time, Radford's defense stood strong and held the Pirates to a lowly 35.6% overall clip of their own.
 
With 16.8 seconds left in regulation, Hampton had a chance to either win or tie the game. The Pirates chose to drive the ball to the hoop in an attempt to force overtime, but a trio of Highlanders swarmed the attacking player to force an errant shot and Jules grabbed the rebound before being fouled.
 
The Orlando, Fla. native hit a clutch free throw and Hampton's final heave missed its mark.
 
In an all-too-familiar refrain, the Highlanders got off to a hot start, jumping out to a 10-2 lead before cooling off a bit and locking into a back-and-forth battle. Radford had several prolonged scoreless stretches in the game, forcing the defense to step up.
 
Russell Dean led the visitors with 14 points, while Najee Garvin added 11 points and Dajour Dickens recorded a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.
 
KEY STATS

• The Highlanders were aggressive on the offensive glass all night and pulled down a season-high 19 offensive rebounds
• As a result, Radford earned an 18-12 advantage in second-chance points in the game
• Radford is now 5-2 at home this season and 5-1 when leading at halftime
• The Pirates were held to just 23 points in the second half, the lowest output from an opponent in a half this season

 
HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME  
AROUND THE BIG SOUTH
N.C. A&T 73, UNC Asheville 71
Longwood 72, Campbell 64
Charleston Southern 70, High Point 66
USC Upstate 74, Gardner-Webb 61
 
NEXT UP
Radford hosts UNC Asheville on Carilion Clinic Court at the Dedmon Center this Saturday. The game, which is presented by Food City, is set for a 2 p.m. tip-off and will be streamed live on ESPN+, with tickets still available for purchase at radfordtickets.com. The Highlanders' coaching staff will also be participating in Coaches vs. Cancer's Suits and Sneakers Week.
 
FOLLOW RADFORD MEN'S BASKETBALL
To follow the Radford men's basketball team throughout the season, visit RadfordAthletics.com, follow @RadfordHoops on Twitter, 'radfordhoops' Instagram or Radford Men's Basketball on Facebook.