Tight Game Slips Away Late for Women’s Basketball Against UNC Greensboro

Saturday, November 18

Radford, Va.

2:00 PM

Radford University

2-3,0-0Big South

UNC Greensboro

3-1,0-0SoCon

Team	1	2	3	4	F
UNC Greensboro	10	22	16	15	63
Radford	17	10	20	13	60

Photo by: Rob Simmons

Tight Game Slips Away Late for Women’s Basketball Against UNC Greensboro

11/18/2023 4:27:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

RADFORD, VA. – The Radford women's basketball program fell in another tight contest Saturday afternoon 63-60 against UNC Greensboro in a game that was tied inside the final minute.

After a troubled first half, the Highlander offense caught fire in the second half to pull ahead of the Spartans late before a cold streak in the final minute pushed the game back into the opponents' favor. Taniya Hanner flirted with a double-double with a career-high 16 points while Ashlyn Traylor-Walker continues to produce with another 20-point performance.

Ashlyn would get the scoring started early with back-to-back layups, her fourth time this season opening up the offense, for an early lead. Radford's lead would balloon to as much as 11-6 early thanks to a three-pointer by Olivia Wagner. After a quarter of play the Highlanders held their biggest lead of the day at 17-10 after Ashlyn's three-pointer sealed the early lead.

An offensive outburst in the second quarter by UNC Greensboro vaulted the Spartans out front. Outscoring the Highlanders 22-10 in the quarter, Radford was able to keep it close at halftime thanks to Hanner who scored six of the team's ten points. Down 32-27 with 20 minutes left to play, Radford would go to work coming out of the locker room.

Layups by Ashlyn and Terissa Lavoile-Brice supported by a three-pointer from Wagner forced a UNC Greensboro timeout as Radford made it just a 36-34 game. A 6-0 run between the seventh and fifth minutes of the third quarter was fueled by four more points from Hanner and Radford regained a slim 40-39 lead.

The two squads would trade leads throughout the rest of the third quarter as the Spartans owned a 48-47 lead headed into the final quarter. Setting up the fourth quarter was Joi Williams who drew and converted an and-one in transition that put Radford up 50-48.

The Spartans had one last run in them, however, going on a 10-0 run over a four-minute scoring drought by the Highlanders to take a commanding 60-52 lead. Refusing to go down, Radford responded. Benefiting from UNC Greensboro turnovers, Radford used an 8-0 run to tie the game with just a minute remaining. Ashlyn led the charge with Wagner capping the run with a behind-the-back layup for the 60-60 tie.

Radford was able to get a stop on the defensive end, but a shot clock violation on their own side of the court flipped the ball back to the Spartans. UNC Greensboro's game-winner hit as they narrowly escaped Dedmon with a 63-60 final.

NOTABLES

Three Highlanders reached double-figure scoring today including Ashlyn (20 points), Hanner (16 points) and Wagner (12 points). The 16 points were a career-best for Hanner while Ashlyn eclipsed 20 points for the second time this season and Wagner set a season-high with her 12 points.
Despite a difficult battle in the size department today, Radford was still able to score more paint points than the Spartans 36-34.
Wagner's four assists are a season high for the sophomore who was joined by Lavoile-Brice who also had three assists performance today.

UP NEXT
Radford's extended home stretch has come to an end as the next six games will all come away from the friendly confines of Dedmon. The road trip gets started in a big way next week as Radford travels to San Juan, Puerto Rico to compete in the Puerto Rico Clasico. Action begins Thursday, November 23rd when Radford faces Indiana State for a noon tip-off.

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