ROCK HILL, S.C. – A second-half surge handed the Radford men's basketball team a 58-48 defeat at Winthrop on Wednesday night.
The loss drops Radford to 7-16 overall and 3-8 in the Big South while Winthrop improves to 16-8 on the season and 9-2 against conference opposition.
The Eagles entered the game ranking top 25 in the nation with a 48.1 shooting percentage, but the Highlanders kept them just 8-for-20 (40.0%) from the field in the first half, including an 0-for-7 clip from beyond the arc. While its three-point shooting still left something to be desired, Winthrop caught fire and went 14-for-23 (60.9%) over the final 20 minutes.
Radford's defense also proved its metal in the turnover category, forcing Winthrop to cough up the ball 19 times while tallying 10 steals. Still one of the league's top perimeter defenders,
Josiah Jeffers led the team with three steals of his own.
On offense, the Highlanders were led by
Rashun Williams as the Orlando, Fla. native scored 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting. Jeffers was next with 10 points and
Artese Stapleton came in right behind with nine points and four rebounds.
Winthrop's star big man D.J. Burns, Jr. was held in check nearly the entire game, but that left too much room for Kelton Talford to operate. The sophomore forward came off the bench and notched 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting.
KEY STATS
- When Radford needs a bucket to get the offense going at the beginning of a game, no one is better to call upon than Bryan Hart. The veteran guard has now scored the Highlanders' first points in six games this season, more than any other player on the team
- Jeffers now has 12 games in which he has recorded multiple steals this season
- Winthrop outscored Radford in the paint, 40-20
HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME
AROUND THE BIG SOUTH
UNC Asheville 69, Hampton 53
Gardner-Webb 57, Campbell 45
High Point 79, Presbyterian 70
North Carolina A&T 62, Charleston Southern 51
NEXT UP
Radford's road trip continues with a 5:30 p.m. game at Hampton this Saturday, Feb. 12. The game 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.
