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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
67
Winner Radford Rad 15-9,9-2 Big South
59
Presbyterian Presb 5-19,1-10 Big South
Winner
Radford Rad
15-9,9-2 Big South
67
Final
59
Presbyterian Presb
5-19,1-10 Big South
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Radford Rad 32 35 67
Presbyterian Presb 23 36 59
Darris Nichols

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Highlanders Grind Out Victory At Presbyterian; Extend Winning Streak to Eight

CLINTON, S.C. – Add yet another tough, gritty win on the road to the Radford men's basketball team's resume as Head Coach Darris Nichols' squad went into enemy territory and came out on top, 67-59, for an eighth consecutive victory.
 
The Highlanders have shown they can win in any number of ways this season, but with back-to-back grind-it-out style road wins, they improve to 15-9 overall and 9-2 in Big South play. Five of the eight straight wins have come away from the New River Valley, bringing the team's road tally to 6-8.
 
Redshirt junior guard DaQuan Smith won't tell you he played all that well, going just 1-for-5 from three and committing five turnovers, but his 21 points led all players who saw the floor inside the Templeton Center.
 
Resuming his role as a spark plug off the bench, Onyebuchi Ezeakudo was nearly perfect on the night. The Fort Wayne, Ind. product went 5-for-5 from the floor, including a 3-for-3 clip from beyond the arc. He also added three rebounds, three steals, and two assists in his 27 minutes of action.
 
Presbyterian (5-19, 1-10 Big South) had Radford on the ropes early, taking a 19-18 lead with just over five minutes to go before halftime. It was Ezeakudo who knocked down the Highlanders' first three of the game to kickstart a 14-4 run that gave the visitors a 32-23 lead at the break.
 
Radford's lead grew to as many as 13 with 17:24 remaining on the clock, but the Blue Hose battled all the way back to make it 61-59 in the last three minutes. Following multiple misses by both teams, Bryan Antoine broke through with a driving layup that restored a multiple possession lead.
 
The Blue Hose couldn't connect in the final minute, Smith and Antoine both went 2-of-2 at the line, and the Highlanders held on to earn another notch in the win column. 
 
Credit to PC's Terrell Ard Jr., who led his team with 17 points and eight rebounds while shooting 7-for-13 at the charity stripe. Crosby James added 11 points and Owen McCormack flirted with a double-double at nine points and seven boards.
 
KEY STATS
  • The Highlanders shot a blistering 55.6% (25-45) from the field
  • Radford has won its third straight game while being out-rebounded; PC earned a 29-to-26 advantage on the boards
  • The Blue Hose made just two out of 16 three-point attempts
  • Souleymane Koureissi made his return after missing the last two games due to illness. He pulled in two rebounds to contribute to the win
 
HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME  
AROUND THE BIG SOUTH
Winthrop 76, Longwood 74
Gardner-Webb 67, Charleston Southern 59
Campbell 78, USC Upstate 66
 
UP NEXT
The men of Radford return to the comfy confines of Carilion Clinic Court at the Dedmon Center this Saturday for Alumni Weekend. Two hundred branded koozies will be given away as the Highlanders face off against Winthrop at 2 p.m.; the game will be on ESPN+ this time around.
 
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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