Presbyterian Presb 13-17,9-9 Big South

Radford Rad 14-16,9-9 Big South

Presbyterian Presb

13-17,9-9 Big South

Final

Mar. 02, 2023

Radford Rad

14-16,9-9 Big South

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Presbyterian Presb	12	13	18	25	68
Radford Rad	10	14	19	26	69

Summary
Box Score

Todd Drexler | Big South Conference

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 3/2/2023 5:04:00 PM

Traylor’s Heroic Buzzer-Beater Sends Radford to Semifinals

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – There's no doubt, March has arrived. The Radford women's basketball program added another legendary moment to their deep Big South history in Thursday's quarterfinals match-up with Presbyterian as Ashlyn Traylor beat the buzzer with a spectacular shot to win 69-68.

Before the game got going Traylor was honored pre-game with hardware for her Big South Freshman of the Year, all-conference second team and all-freshman team awards. By the end of the game, Traylor would prove she wasn't done just yet.

Coming into the game it was a cold-shooting affair as both teams looked to find their groove on the neutral court. Presbyterian began the game on a 4-0 run but as Radford would do for the rest of the day they always responded. Olivia Wagner had Radford's first basket and Carmen Williams soon followed to trail just 6-4.

As the two defenses brawled, Radford kept it close with a 5-0 run to close the first quarter thanks to a three by Rachel LaLonde and a smooth layup by Vanessa Blake. LaLonde didn't waste time in the second quarter immediately hitting another three to pull Radford to trail just 14-13. The defensive slugfest continued as Radford didn't have a made shot from the field for over four minutes.

Thanks to some strong defense, when Wagner broke the ice Radford trailed just 21-17. Four straight points by Blake and a huge three-pointer by Rhoades to close out the half had it a one-point game at 25-24. As the game would go on, Radford would just get hotter out-shooting and out-scoring previous quarters.

Four minutes into the third quarter, Radford finally got the equalizer. A second-chance layup by Blake tied the game at 30-all. At the five-minute mark Radford finally had its first lead as Blake sunk a crucial and-one for the slim 33-32 lead. Presbyterian would briefly reclaim that but a couple of baskets by Traylor and Williams kept the game tied at 43-all.

The stage was finally set for an electric fourth quarter. Both teams shot out of their minds with both well over 55% overall. Layups by Wagner and Williams to start the quarter gave Radford an early 48-46 edge. A jumper by Blake and a huge three by Traylor gave Radford its biggest lead of the day at 53-46. The Blue Hose did not go away quietly as a 7-0 run of their own tied the game again at 53-all.

Radford got a 5-0 run to retake a commanding lead thanks to Traylor and LaLonde, but a three-pointer by the Blue Hose kept them close. With just over a minute remaining it became a free throw game as Presbyterian was forced to foul to stay in it. Traylor hit the first of two very crucial free throws to go up 62-57 but Presbyterian just did not go away with back-to-back three-pointers with under 45 seconds to go.

After another big free throw by Traylor gave Radford a 67-65 lead, Presbyterian had one last shot with seconds remaining. A costly foul from beyond the arc sent the Blue Hose to the line with a chance to win the game. Presbyterian hit all three and with no timeouts and just seconds remaining the odds were stacked against the Highlanders. Radford quickly regrouped and Traylor was fearless storming down the court. With milliseconds remaining, Traylor put the team on her back sinking a buzzer-beating shot to lift Radford over Presbyterian 69-68 and into the tournament semifinals.

TRAYLOR LEAVES NO DOUBT
After being held to just one point in the first half, Traylor left no doubt about her Freshman of the Year status. 18 of her eventual 19 points came in the second half with an insane 12-point fourth quarter. Where some players would feel down after a costly foul, Traylor showed none of that. The freshman took on the role of an elite veteran, never missing a beat, to take the game-winning shot.

BLAKE AND LALONDE NOT TO BE OVERLOOKED
Not to be overshadowed, Blake's performance today was crucial for the Highlanders. The sophomore netted 13 points again today and was a steady force in the paint all game. The senior leader LaLonde was the heartbeat of the offense in the first half with her 11 points, nine of which came off three-pointers, kept Radford close to Presbyterian for the eventual final blow.

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
While turnovers have been an issue at times for Radford this season, today the team was the cleanest they've been all season. With just nine turnovers Radford set a new-low for the season and its their lowest mark since turning the ball over just seven times back in December of 2021 against Furman. Radford forced 13 Presbyterian turnovers and out gained the Blue Hose in points off turnovers 16-5.

UP NEXT
After today's win, Radford survives and advances. The next test for Radford comes back in the Bojangles' Coliseum on Saturday, March 5th as the team will face the top-seeded Gardner-Webb at 6 p.m. with action being streamed on ESPN+.

Follow Women's Basketball on Social Media
For more information on the Radford women's basketball team, follow @Radford_WBB on Twitter and Instagram or Radford Women's Basketball on Facebook.

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