ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Radford men's basketball program went on a valiant comeback attempt but just ran out of time as the Highlanders dropped a 72-65 decision in an absolute battle to host UNC Asheville in a Big South clash inside Kimmel Arena on Wednesday night.

The first half was a hard-fought battle between the two conference rivals. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 11-4 lead through the first three minutes of the contest, but Radford answered right back with a 13-6 run over the next seven minutes to make it a 17-17 game at the 10:09 mark of the opening half.

The game was tied again at 19-19 with 8:30 on the clock and the Highlanders took their largest lead of the contest at 26-22 with 5:53 remaining. UNC Asheville closed out the frame with a 10-4 advantage to take a 32-30 lead in the locker room.

UNC Asheville started off the second half on fire and went on a 18-2 run over the first six-plus minutes of the period to take its largest lead of the game at 50-32 with 13:53 left. Radford would continue to battle back however and made it a 10-point game at 7:48 (56-46), 7:08 (58-48) and 5:54 (61-51) before it turned into a single-digit contest at 61-54 with 4:47 left to go.

The Bulldogs once again made it a 10-point game at 68-58 with just 1:28 left but the Highlanders continued to fight. Radford would get it as close as a three-point game (68-65) with just 35 ticks left on the clock, but the squad eventually just ran out of time as UNC Asheville escaped with the 72-65 win. 
 
THE FACTS
FINAL SCORE: Radford – 65, UNC Asheville – 72
LOCATION: Kimmel Arena (Asheville, North Carolina)
RECORDS: RU 14-9 (4-4 Big South), UNCA 16-6 (7-1 Big South)
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Brandon Maclin was all over the floor as he tried to will the Highlanders back into the contest. He finished with a game-best 19 points to go with four rebounds and a steal. The Jackson, Tennessee native went 6-of-13 from the floor (.462), a perfect 2-of-2 from three (1.000) and 5-of-6 at the charity stripe (.833). He scored 13 of his 19 points in the second half. It was Maclin's eighth game so far this season with double digits in points.
- Jarvis Moss was the second Highlander to finish in double figures with 10 points along with two boards, two helpers and a swipe. It was his 14th double-digit scoring outburst of the season and his fourth such contest in a row. The Concord, North Carolina native is averaging nearly 15 points per game over his last four contests.
- David Early chipped in eight points and one rebound.
- Truth Harris added seven points of his own to go along with two steals, one board and an assist.
- Josiah Harris pulled down a team-best seven boards. He also recorded six points and a swipe.
- TJ NeSmith (three rebounds) and Zion Walker (one board, one steal) each chipped in five points off the bench, respectively.
- Isaiah Gaines handed out a team-high five assists to go with three points and five rebounds.
- Radford finished with 28 points in the paint and 20 bench points.
- The game featured six times it was tied and just two lead changes.
- It was a battle royal as the referees did a good job of letting the physical play go. Even with the well-called game, the two sides combined to get to the line 32 times.
 
NEXT UP
Radford returns home for another important conference clash, this time against USC Upstate, on Saturday February 1 inside the Dedmon Center. Fans and supporters can purchase their tickets to the contest here.  The game will feature the highly anticipated Diaper Derby, a performance by Kelly Krants Dance Company and it will also be a Youth Game for Highlander nation.

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