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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
59
Longwood LWU 15-7,7-2 Big South
63
Winner Radford Rad 13-9,7-2 Big South
Longwood LWU
15-7,7-2 Big South
59
Final
63
Radford Rad
13-9,7-2 Big South
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Longwood LWU 31 28 59
Radford Rad 29 34 63
Dedmon Center Crowd
Rob Simmons

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Energy From Electric Radford Crowd Fuels 63-59 Win Over Longwood

RADFORD, Va. – The Radford men's basketball team gave everything it had for 40 minutes, earning a 63-59 victory over Longwood in one of the most exciting nights the Dedmon Center has seen in years.
 
Playing in front of 2,357 fans, the largest crowd the Highlanders have seen this season, Radford rode the highs and absorbed the lows of a heavyweight match-up between two of the best teams in the Big South.
 
Radford's win streak extends to six straight as Darris Nichols' squad improves to 13-9 overall and 7-2 in conference play. Longwood drops to 15-7 and 7-2 against Big South foes, creating a tie for second place midway through the conference slate.
 
Trailing 57-56 with just over three minutes to go, Josiah Jeffers connected with Justin Archer to give the hosts a one-point lead. DaQuan Smith hit two clutch free throws and then Archer answered a Longwood layup with one of his own to make it 62-59.
 
The missed front end of a one-and-one gave the Lancers a chance to tie it up, but back-to-back defensive stops from Shaquan Jules, including a monster block off the backboard on Longwood's final possession, sealed the victory.
 
 A 10-point lead right off the bat for the Highlanders quickly evaporated as the experienced Longwood side put together run after run to take the lead. The Lancers led for more than 15 minutes of the game, including most of the second half, but Radford got it done when it mattered most.
 
Jeffers was forced back into the starting lineup with Onyebuchi Ezeakudo missing the game due to illness along with Souleymane Koureissi. The fifth-year guard came up huge, leading all players with 13 points and four assists.
 
Archer earned his fourth double-double of the season, putting up 11 points and 11 rebounds despite the extremely strong rebounding team that Longwood can put on the floor. Smith had a slow start but hit multiple clutch shots down the stretch, finishing with 11 points.
 
And Bryan Antoine, whose breakaway dunk completely changed the momentum down the stretch, added 12 points, three assists and three steals.
 
KEY STATS
  • Longwood shot just 43.1% from the field and 30.8% from three against Radford's stout defense
  • The Lancers earned a 37-to-31 advantage on the boards to give Radford a taste of its own medicine
  • Radford turned the ball over just seven times while LWU gave it away twice as many times for 14 turnovers on the night
  • Longwood shot just two free throws all night and Radford shot 10 despite taking its first attempt more than 30 minutes into the action
 
HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME  
UP NEXT
Radford hits the road to USC Upstate for a 2 p.m. game this Saturday, Jan. 28. The quick turnaround match-up will be streamed 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.
 
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