RADFORD, Va. – The Radford men's basketball team cruised to a 73-58 victory over Presbyterian thanks to 49 combined points from
DaQuan Smith,
Kenyon Giles and
Bryan Antoine at the Dedmon Center on Saturday afternoon.
UPDATED RECORDS
Radford: 13-9 (3-4 Big South)
Presbyterian: 9-13 (1-6 Big South)
PLAY-BY-PLAY
As soon as
DaQuan Smith knocked down a three-pointer on the first shot of the night, everyone in the building was put on notice. The redshirt senior guard was absolutely on fire out of the gates, making four of his first attempts from beyond the arc.
It wasn't just him however, as senior guard
Bryan Antoine joined him with three of his four three-point attempts finding their target. The duo propelled the Highlanders to a 17-8 lead by the under-16 media timeout, an advantage that grew to as many as 15 when Radford took a 31-16 lead midway through the period.
With all of Radford's points coming from threes and free throws, the Highlanders were bound to cede some ground to the Blue Hose, who eventually caught fire in their own right. Led by Samage Teel's three-straight triples, Presbyterian went on a 7-0 run to split the deficit in half before Head Coach
Darris Nichols called timeout.
PC ultimately finished the half on a 20-to-12 run, bringing the score to 43-36 when the teams jogged into the locker room for halftime.
With the Blue Hose threatening to steal away the momentum in the second half, the Highlanders began to work the ball into the post quite a bit more. Following Smith's fifth three-pointer of the game to open the period,
Josiah Harris and
Justin Archer scored the next two baskets.
That key change opened things up for the likes of
Kenyon Giles, who responded to back-to-back Presbyterian layups by scoring seven straight points for Radford. The hosts' hit a number of tough shots to shake off any chance PC had of coming back, eventually rebuilding the lead to as many as 17 with 3:23 left in regulation.
Radford's defense also made crucial adjustments down the stretch, holding the Blue Hose to just two made three-pointers and two free throws in the entire second half.
KEY STATS
- Smith led all scorers with 19 points, knocking down a career high-tying five three-pointers in the process
- Giles and Antoine added 17 and 13 points, respectively
- Josiah Harris was huge, tying his season high with nine points and pulling down a season-high seven rebounds
- Radford won the rebounding battle, 38-to-29
- The Highlanders shot 51.9% (27-52) from the floor compared to just 35.2% (19-54) by Presbyterian
OF NOTE
- Radford did not score a two-point field goal until the 9:57 mark of the first half, getting a dunk from Josiah Harris
- After recording less than 10 assists in four straight games between Dec. 29 and Jan. 13, Radford has posted 10 or more assists in four straight games
- The Highlanders are now 3-0 when wearing their New River City uniforms
PLAY OF THE GAME
AROUND THE BIG SOUTH
Gardner-Webb 75, USC Upstate 70
High Point 83, Winthrop 81
UNC Asheville at Charleston Southern – 5:30 p.m.
UP NEXT
Radford stays home for the upcoming mid-week game, with Charleston Southern piling on the bus to come to the Dedmon Center this Wednesday, Jan. 31. The contest, which is slated for a 7 p.m. tip, will be streamed live on ESPN+. Tickets are still available for purchase on RadfordTickets.com.
FOLLOW RADFORD MEN'S BASKETBALL
To follow the Radford men's basketball team throughout the season, visit RadfordAthletics.com, follow @RadfordHoops on Twitter, 'radfordhoops' on Instagram or Radford Men's Basketball on Facebook.
