RADFORD, Va. – Rashun Williams scored a career-high 18 points, but the Bulldogs' Drew Pember delivered an astonishing 41-point performance and the Highlanders fell in overtime, 78-74, to UNC Asheville on Carilion Clinic Court in the Dedmon Center on Saturday afternoon.
With just over 26 seconds left on the clock and the ball in Radford's hands during a tied game,
Josiah Jeffers dribbled the clock down and charged toward the basket. The senior absorbed contact and made an acrobatic, twisting shot to put the hosts in front.
UNC Asheville inbounded the ball quickly, pushing the ball up the court with a frantic pace. Trent Stephney didn't balk at taking the final shot, putting his foot in the ground and rising for a pull-up jumper that went in with 0.6 seconds to force an extra period.
It became a war of attrition and the team to score twice in a row looked like the clear winners. It was the Bulldogs who managed to pull that off first, getting some separation with a Jamon Battle dunk and four straight free throws from Pember to ice the game away.
Those final free throws brought Pember's total to 41 points on the day, tying former UNC Asheville star Andrew Rowsey's record for an opposing player in the Dedmon Center. The Tennessee Volunteers transfer finished 11-for-19 from the field and 15-for-16 at the charity stripe. He added 11 rebounds and a pair of blocks as well.
The first three and a half minutes of the game introduced us to the Drew Pember show. UNC Asheville's star big man went 4-for-4 with 11 points before the first media timeout even arrived.
Coach Nichols and Radford's defense adjusted though, holding him or any other Bulldog without a basket until the 12:12 mark when Trent Stephney finally broke through for a layup.
The Highlanders kept things close, pulling within one at 13-12, before UNC Asheville broke off a 12-4 run. The Bulldogs then followed it up a few minutes later with a 9-0 run to build a 36-26 lead heading into halftime.
It was a much better second half for Radford, who took its first lead of the game with 12:34 on the clock thanks to a huge 21-5 run. The lead grew to as many as seven before a prolonged scoreless stretch allowed the Bulldogs to come back.
KEY STATS
- There were a combined 48 fouls called in 45 minutes of action, with UNC Asheville going 28-33 at the line and Radford going 13-20
- Dravon Mangum had another excellent game, scoring 16 points in 32 minutes
- Josiah Jeffers was solid again, going for 12 points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals
- Radford struggled shooting the long ball for the second consecutive game, going just 5-23 (21.7%)
- The Highlanders did really well to protect the ball however, turning it over just 10 times compared to 16 giveaways for UNC Asheville
HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME
AROUND THE BIG SOUTH
Winthrop 64, Gardner-Webb 62
Longwood 71, Presbyterian 70
USC Upstate 70, Charleston Southern 57
High Point at Hampton – 4 p.m.
Campbell at N.C. A&T – 5 p.m.
COACHES VS. CANCER
NEXT UP
Radford gets a few days to rest and refocus before making its first-ever visit to the brand new home of the High Point Panthers – Qubein Arena. The Highlanders and Panthers face off on Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. with the to be game streamed live on ESPN+.
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.
