RADFORD, Va. – Radford men's basketball returns to the comfy confines of the Dedmon Center to take on the visiting Charleston Southern Buccaneers in a game that could be massive for Big South Tournament seeding.
SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent: Charleston Southern Buccaneers (4-16, 1-7 Big South)
Date/Time: Wednesday, February 2
nd at 6:30 p.m.
Location: Carilion Clinic Court at the Dedmon Center
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Watch Live on ESPN+
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Purchase Tickets (Entry is free for Radford Students with ID)
SERIES HISTORY
The Highlanders have, for the most part, dominated the all-time series with Charleston Southern, owning a 44-24 record dating back to their first meeting in 1982. Radford earned a 76-60 victory on the road and then the two sides took a nine-year hiatus before playing again.
The Big South rivalry has continued each and every season since 1991, with Radford taking both halves of a doubleheader with the Buccaneers last year. In the most recent contest,
Dravon Mangum led the highlanders with 16 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal across a team-high 31 minutes played.
Radford has won five straight games against CSU and has come out on top in eight of the last 10. The Highlanders also hold a strong 23-10 record against the Bucs inside the Dedmon Center.
SCOUTING THE BUCS
They say defense wins championships, but Charleston Southern's defense simply has not been up to snuff this season. The Buccaneers rank dead last in the Big South with 77.3 points allowed per game, leading to an also-last-place -8.5 scoring margin.
In his 17
th season captaining the ship, Barclay Radebaugh's team has tried to overcome its defensive woes with three-point shooting. Their 544 attempts from beyond the arc are the most in the conference, but the results just aren't there as CSU ranks 10
th in the Big South with a 28.1% three-point percentage.
Redshirt sophomore guard Tahlik Chavez leads his squad in scoring with 11.2 points per game while five others average 8.0 or more to balance out the Bucs' attack. Cheik Faye is pulling down a team-high 5.7 rebounds per game while the duo of Taje' Kelly and Sean Price give CSU a pair of two players shooting above 55.0%.
FREE THROW ACCURACY
While the Highlanders' free throw percentage for the season sits at 66.0%, four players in particular have upped their game from the charity stripe during conference play.
Rashun Williams is shooting 83.3% and
Dravon Mangum is right behind him at 80.0%.
Bryan Hart is going steady at 73.7% and
Josiah Jeffers is shooting 73.2% on 41 attempts during Big South play.
SHIELDS UP
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.
