RADFORD, Va. – Battling the Panthers and the crowd, another comeback effort fell short as the Radford men's basketball team lost, 63-58, to High Point at Qubein Arena on Wednesday night.
After Radford (6-13, 2-5 Big South) pulled within one with 9:44 left in the game, the Panthers (9-11, 3-3 Big South) found some breathing room thanks a 6-0 run that stretched their lead to 57-50.
It became an uphill battle from there as the Highlanders could no longer afford to trade baskets. High Point shrugged off a series of close calls, doing just enough to protect its lead for the rest of the contest.
Josiah Jeffers led the charge for the Highlanders, scoring 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting while adding a career high-tying six rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
Bryan Hart and
Lewis Djonkam contributed eight points each while
Dravon Mangum went for seven points and five rebounds.
For the fourth consecutive game, three-point shooting proved to be an issue for Radford. The team went 4-for-17 from beyond the arc, marking the fourth straight game it has shot below 30.0% in that category.
Free throws kept Radford in the game in the first half, as the Highlanders drew nine fouls en route to 12 free throws in 14 tries. Their fortunes changed in the second half however, going just 2-for-7 at the charity stripe.
Radford and High Point were tied at 33-all heading into the second period, and things stayed evenly matched for quite a while as each team answered one basket with another. The Panthers caught fire though, going 9-for-10 over 10 minutes of game time.
The Highlanders managed to hold them to a 1-for-8 stretch over the final eight minutes, but the lead proved to be insurmountable.
KEY STATS
- Junior forward/center Shaquan Jules made his first start in 46 career games played for the Highlanders
- Xavier Lipscomb pulled down a season-high five rebounds. His career high is nine which he recorded at UNC Asheville on Jan. 24, 2021
- A 33-33 score at halftime marked the first time Radford has been level with an opponent through 20 minutes all season
- Both teams recorded 10 assists, eight offensive rebounds, and 26 points in the paint
HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME
AROUND THE BIG SOUTH
Winthrop 96, USC Upstate 91
Campbell 75, Hampton 60
Presbyterian 62, Charleston Southern 61
Longwood 79, N.C. A&T 71
NEXT UP
Radford's two-game road trip continues with a visit to Boiling Springs, N.C. where the Highlanders will take on the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs. The game is slated for a 4:30 p.m. tip and will be 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.
