RICHMOND, Va. – The Radford men's basketball team gave VCU all it could handle for 30 minutes, but foul trouble and too many turnovers caught up with the visitors in a 70-62 loss at the Siegel Center on Wednesday night.
The Highlanders (6-5, 0-0 Big South) led 28-26 at halftime and grew the lead to as many as eight after a strong start to the second half. VCU (7-4, 0-0 Atlantic 10) took advantage of constant whistles against Radford as Coach Nichols was forced to alter his usual rotation.
Up 45-39 with the Rams already in the bonus and 11:52 left to play, VCU exploded for a 14-0 run that put them ahead 53-45 with just 6:44 on the clock. A full court press and some less-than-ideal lineups resulted in turnover after turnover, making it difficult for the Highlanders to bridge the gap down the stretch.
By the time the final buzzer sounded, Radford had racked up 26 fouls, including five on
Bryan Antoine and four each from
Josiah Jeffers,
Justin Archer and
DaQuan Smith. Meanwhile, the Rams got whistled for just 17 fouls, leading to a 31-to-19 advantage in free throw attempts on the night.
Either way, there's no denying Radford's defense came to play as well. The Highlanders forced 25 turnovers, surpassing the contest on Nov. 14 when Bridgewater coughed up the ball 24 times.
VCU was also limited to just three 3-pointers, their lowest output of the season.
Archer had a strong game on both ends, contributing six points, six rebounds, and a career-high two blocks. Antoine was even better on the defensive end, hustling all over the court for a career-high six steals.
Back-to-back Big South Freshman of the Week
Kenyon Giles led the squad in scoring with 13 points while Smith was just behind with 11 points, including a pair of threes.
KEY STATS
- Radford's bench outscored the VCU bench, 27-14
- The Rams shot 49% from the field while holding Radford to just 39%
- VCU also earned a big 40-27 advantage in rebounds
HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME
UP NEXT
The Highlanders travel to Richmond once again, but this time it's Richmond, Kentucky for a rematch with the Eastern Kentucky Colonels. The game is slated for a 2 p.m. tip on Saturday, Dec. 17 inside Alumni Coliseum.
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.
