Men's Basketball Welcomes Winthrop To Town For Alumni Weekend Contest

RADFORD, Va. – Alumni weekend is here as the Radford Highlanders welcome the Winthrop Eagles to the Carilion Clinic Court at the Dedmon Center for a 2 p.m. tip on Saturday.

SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent: Winthrop Eagles (11-13, 6-5 Big South)
Date/Time: Saturday, Feb. 4 at 2:00 p.m.
Location: Carilion Clinic Court at the Dedmon Center (Radford, Va.)

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Watch: CLICK HERE (ESPN+)
Listen: CLICK HERE (WRAD 101.7 FM)
Live Stats: CLICK HERE
Buy Tickets: RadfordTickets.com

SERIES HISTORY
Thanks to a 66-52 victory on Jan. 11, the Highlanders bring a 43-40 all-time series record into Saturday's game with the Eagles.

Radford is 22-15 when playing Winthrop inside the Dedmon Center and riding high after halting a three-game losing skid against the Eagles.

Bryan Antoine, DaQuan Smith, Kenyon Giles, and Justin Archer all scored in double figures, helping the Highlanders shoot exactly 50.0% as a team while holding the Eagles to just 37.0%. Almost every Winthrop player was held in check except for standout forward Kelton Talford, who dropped 15 points and 10 rebounds while making 14 trips to the free throw line.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Mark Prosser's squad got off to a slow start this season, but are trending upward with three straight victories coming into Saturday. Their most recent win, a 76-74 stunner over Longwood, is most notable as the Eagles erased a 19-point deficit to storm back and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

After years and years of boasting one of the best defenses in the league, this year's edition of Winthrop basketball has struggled on that side of the ball, allowing 73.1 points per game. Their 46.6% opponent field goal percentage ranks dead last in the Big South, making the team's reliance on the three-ball even more risky.

Through 24 games played, Winthrop leads the conference with 8.9 three-pointers made per game and second with a very strong 37.2% clip on 572 attempts. The Eagles also lead the Big South with a 74.5% line at the charity stripe.

Twin towers Kelton Talford (15.6 points, 7.9 rebounds) and Cory Hightower (12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds) are sure to pose a challenge for the Highlanders around the rim.

WE LOVE THE 50'S
Radford's defense has held opponents to between 50 and 59 points a whopping eight times this season, including each of the last three outings. The Highlanders are now 8-0 this season when opponents' point total is somewhere in the 50's and 14-0 across two seasons under Head Coach Darris Nichols.

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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Players Mentioned

#3 Kenyon Giles: G; 5' 11"; Freshman

#1 DaQuan Smith: G; 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior

#0 Justin Archer: F; 6' 7"; Sophomore

#14 Bryan Antoine: G; 6' 5"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#3 Kenyon Giles
: 5' 11"; Freshman
: G

#1 DaQuan Smith
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior
: G

#0 Justin Archer
: 6' 7"; Sophomore
: F

#14 Bryan Antoine
: 6' 5"; Junior
: G