RADFORD, Va. – The Radford men's basketball team dominated from start to finish in a 84-47 victory over Eastern Mennonite on Carilion Clinic Court in the Dedmon Center on Sunday afternoon.
The win moves the Highlanders to 2-1 on the season with a pair of tough in-state contests on the horizon. Division III EMU drops to 0-2 and has no more Division I games on its schedule.
Senior forward
TJ NeSmith made his Highlander debut after missing the first two games of the season and did not disappoint. The Burlington, N.C. native scored a game-high 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting and added a monster block as a cherry on top.
The usual suspects got the game started;
Kenyon Giles set the tone early with 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals in just 14 minutes played.
Bryan Antoine showed off his signature stroke with a 3-of-4 day from beyond the arc to post 12 points and eight rebounds of his own.
Graduate forward Chandler scored a put-back layup 28 seconds into the game and it was off to the races from there. The Highlanders completely controlled the pace of play and came out of the locker room with a defensive intensity that made life miserable for the Royals.
It wasn't until a NeSmith dunk put the Highlanders ahead 18-0 that Eastern Mennonite broke the ice with a free throw as its first point. While the Royals to get some offense going, the run continued, and Radford took a 51-14 lead into halftime.
The Highlanders took their foot off the pedal a bit in the second half, emptying the bench and playing much of the final 20 minutes in their halfcourt offense. Freshman guard
Kyle Burns paced the second unit with nine points on 4-of-9 shooting while
Hunter Castleberry and
David Vidor also saw extended time on the floor.
Overall, Radford shot 58.2% (32-for-55) from the floor, including 38.9% (7-for-18) from beyond the arc. At the same time, Coach Nichols' squad held the Royals to just 25.0% shooting on the other end of the floor.
NOTES & STATS
- NeSmith made his Highlander debut when he checked it at the U-16 media timeout of the first half
- Radford scored 50+ points in a first half since Feb. 2, 2021 against USC Upstate
- True freshman Trenton Walters contributed seven points and a career-high eight assists
- Justin Archer and D'Auntray Pierce swatted two blocks apiece
- Castleberry (17) and Vidor (11) both had career-highs in minutes played
PLAY OF THE GAME
UP NEXT
Radford takes its two-game winning streak to Richmond when it takes on VCU this Wednesday, Nov. 15. First tip is set for 7 p.m. with the game streaming 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.
