Manhattan, KANSAS – A 13-4 run over the final three minutes and 34 seconds showed there's no quit in the Highlanders, but the comeback attempt came up short for the Radford men's basketball team in a 73-65 loss to Kansas State at Bramlage Coliseum on Wednesday.
Radford (6-7, 0-0 Big South) went into enemy territory against one of the winningest teams in the nation and held the lead early in the second half after
Bryan Antoine knocked down a pair of free throws with 17:45 to play. It was Wildcats (11-1, 0-0 Big 12) for a long stretch after that however, as the hosts went on a tear to grow their lead to as many as 17 late in the game.
A player who was once coached by
Darris Nichols at Florida, Keyontae Johnson, hit a jumper to make it 69-52 with 4:04 left on the clock. Ten straight points by
Shaquan Jules and
Kenyon Giles pulled the Highlanders within single digits at the 1:24-mark and three more points from
Josiah Jeffers made it a 71-65 game with just 49 seconds to play.
K-State did an excellent job dribbling away from potential fouls and then reset each play with timeouts shouted from the bench. Johnson hit a pair of free throws to ice the game, sealing another tough loss for Radford.
Giles will be a top contender for Big South Freshman of the Week once again thanks to his third 20-point effort of the season. The Chesapeake, Va. native went 7-for-11 from the floor and 3-for-4 from deep to lead the Highlanders with exactly 20 points.
DaQuan Smith played a well-balanced game with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting while also adding five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Jeffers gave Radford a third double-figure scorer with 10 points and a trio of assists.
Rebounding woes contributed to the loss as much as anything as the Wildcats earned a 41-to-27 advantage on the boards, including 13 offensive rebounds. That stat led directly to a 46-to-26 deficit in points in the paint as well as K-State controlled space around the rim on both ends.
From the jump, Kansas State's Nae'Qwan Tomlin dominated both ends of the floor, leading all players with 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting as well as nine rebounds and two blocks. Johnson finished with 16 points and Markquis Nowell became the first opponent of the year to reach double-digit assists with a 10-point, 11-assist double-double.
KEY STATS
- For the first time this season, Radford took a loss despite attempting more free throws than the opposition
- Junior center D'Auntray Pierce played a season-high 10 minutes off the bench, finishing with two assists, one rebound, one steal, and one block
- Radford kept its turnovers to single digits for the third time this season, giving the ball away just eight times while forcing 12 K-State turnovers
- The Wildcats shot just 29.4% (5-17) from beyond the arc
HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME
UP NEXT
The team gets a well-deserved break for the holidays before Big South Conference action begins right before the New Year. Radford heads to UNC Asheville on Thursday, Dec. 29 for a 4 p.m. tip and fans will be able to follow along 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.
