CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The 2021-22 season came to an abrupt end for the Radford men's basketball team on Wednesday as it showed enormous fight to mount a second half comeback and force overtime before ultimately falling to North Carolina A&T, 78-71, in the first round of the Big South Championships inside Bojangles Coliseum.
 
The loss brings the Highlanders' final record to 11-18 (7-9 Big South) in Head Coach Darris Nichols' first season leading the program. 
 
Trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half and then 41-27 at halftime, the Highlanders revealed to the world what those inside the program already knew – that this team has limitless heart and will not go out quietly.
 
Radford came out of the locker room and hit each of its first two shots, proceeding to hang with the Aggies until the score stood at 54-42 with 12:26 on the clock. In one of the most exciting stretches of the season, the Highlanders went on a 17-4 run while holding N.C. A&T without a field goal for nearly 12 entire minutes of action.
 
Then, with the game squared at 60-all, the Highlanders got the ball and called timeout with 8.4 seconds left in regulation. The coaching staff drew up a play and senior guard Josiah Jeffers got a good look but his pull-up jumper went halfway down and back out.
 
Unfortunately, things didn't go the Highlanders' way in overtime as the Aggies began the extra period on a 9-0 run. Radford gave everything it had, but couldn't charge all the way back again before the clock hit zero.
 
Jeffers led the team with 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting while also adding four rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Bryan Hart, Artese Stapleton and Lewis Djonkam had 10 points each to boost the attack.
 
North Carolina A&T received an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double from Marcus Watson and 17 points from Jeremy Robinson.
 
SHAQUAN JULES NAMED TO BIG SOUTH ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM

 
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