RADFORD, Va. – The Radford men's basketball used a barrage of three-pointers in the first half and clutch free throws down the stretch to earn a wire-to-wire, 88-82, victory over Longwood at the Dedmon Center on Saturday afternoon.
UPDATED RECORDS
Radford: 15-14 (5-9 Big South)
Longwood: 17-12 (5-9 Big South)
PLAY-BY-PLAY
It was an offensive tour de force by Radford and Longwood throughout the first half, as the two sides combined to shoot 61.2% from the field and 62.5% from deep over the first 20 minutes.
DaQuan Smith got the scoring started with a three-pointer, a shot that would set the tone for the rest of the day. The Highlanders went up 22-13 by the 12:36 mark, already 4-for-5 from beyond the arc.
The hot shooting continued as Radford improved to 6-for-8 with 9:40 on the clock, 8-for-11 by the under-four media timeout, and ultimately 9-for-12 at halftime. Smith and
Kenyon Giles were responsible for six of them, as the duo entered the break with 11 points each.
Longwood's offense was firing on all cylinders too, however, as the visitors hung around the entire time. A 6-0 run brought the Lancers within three with 11:03 left in the half, and although Radford restored its lead to double figures, LWU recorded the last basket of the period to pull some momentum back their way.
Three consecutive layups from
Justin Archer and
Josiah Harris got the Highlanders back on the right foot to begin the second half, and their advantage stayed for most of the half.
The Lancers made the most of a brief cold streak for Radford though, as a 9-0 run made it a 72-62 game with 8:16 left in regulation. Longwood got its deficit all the way down to five, 80-75, with one minute to go.
A number of clutch stops and big free throws fended off the nerve-wracking comeback attempt and Radford clinched a second straight win.
KEY STATS
- DaQuan Smith was unstoppable from long range, leading the Highlanders with 21 points on 6-of-12 shooting from three – a new career high in three-pointers made
- Justin Archer added 17 points, just one point from tying his career high, and seven rebounds
- Kenyon Giles (17 points), Chandler Turner (11 points) and Bryan Antoine (11 points) gave Radford five double-figure scorers
- Radford's 13 three-pointers marked the fourth time this season it has made 10+ and the first time since Nov. 29, 2023 at Old Dominion
- The Highlanders dished out 17 assists as a team, their highest output against a Division I opponent this season
OF NOTE
- Radford improves to 30-10 all-time against Longwood. The Highlanders are now 18-2 against the Lancers when playing inside the Dedmon Center
- Longwood was issued a flagrant 1 foul on a moving screen at the 12:36 mark of the first half. Truth Harris was injured on the play and did not return to the game
PLAY OF THE GAME
AROUND THE BIG SOUTH
Winthrop 83, USC Upstate 74
Gardner-Webb 78, UNC Asheville 77
High Point 74, Charleston Southern 59
UP NEXT
Radford hits the road one last time in the regular season to play Charleston Southern in the Buc Dome. The game is set for Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. with ESPN+ on site to stream all the action.
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.
