Radford Starts Hot, Falls in Tight Finish at Winthrop

Saturday, January 4

Rock Hill, SC

2:00 PM

Radford University

3-12,0-2Big South

Winthrop

8-7,2-0Big South

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Radford	16	23	11	8	58
Winthrop	13	15	20	17	65

Photo by: Rob Simmons

Radford Starts Hot, Falls in Tight Finish at Winthrop

1/4/2025 4:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Radford women's basketball program had a hot start to Saturday's contest at Winthrop before falling late in a tight finish 65-58.

KEY STATS

Joi Williams and Makayla Firebaugh both eclipsed 10 points in their second straight conference games.
Radford had just 4 turnovers in the first half before committing 9 in the second half.
Kirby Brown had another solid showing for Radford with six points, four rebounds and an assist.
After shooting 7-12 (58%) from three in the first half, Radford shot just 2-12 in the back half of the game.

PLAY BY PLAY
Williams would kick off the scoring for the Highlanders with an early three to go up 3-1. Four straight points by Firebaugh extended that lead and Brown added another make as Radford was off and running. Radford closed the first quarter on a 5-0 swing thanks to Adelyn Traylor-Walker who added a make from deep and in the paint.

Up 16-13, Radford had its best quarter of the day in the second. Another three by Firebaugh ignited the rally while Adriana Shipp-Davis chipped in for her first points of the day making it a 28-20 advantage. With 3 minutes until the half, Radford got threes from Firebaugh, Cate Carlson and Kirah Dandridge to pace further ahead 39-28.

The momentum carried into the start of the second half as Radford got six straight points from Williams, Firebaugh and Carlson to go up 45-28. A three by Williams put Radford solidly ahead at 48-33, but a scoring drought from there would tighten the game.

Radford would be held scoreless from the floor until the 6:35 mark in the fourth quarter as Winthrop stormed back to make it just a 53-52 Radford edge. Winthrop would close out the rest of the fourth quarter on a 13-5 run, as Radford's lead slipped away in the 65-58 final.

AROUND THE BIG SOUTH

High Point dominated in their second win of the week 84-53 over UNC Asheville.
Gardner-Webb earned their first conference win 62-58 over Presbyterian.
Longwood squeezed out a 73-72 road win at Charleston Southern.

UP NEXT
The Highlanders will get some time to regroup before their next conference match-up. Radford will host USC Upstate at the Dedmon Center for a 2 p.m. tip on January 11th also 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 X and Instagram or Radford Women's Basketball on Facebook.