Women's Basketball 11/25/2025 11:00:00 AM

Highlanders Traverse to Cleveland, Play Three Games Over Feast Week

RADFORD, Va. – The Radford women's basketball team will be busy over Thanksgiving week, taking on Valparaiso (Wednesday), St. Bonaventure (Friday), and Cleveland State (Saturday) as part of a multi-team event hosted by the Vikings.

SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent #1: Valparaiso Beacons on Wednesday, November 26th at 3:00 PM
Opponent #2: St. Bonaventure Bonnies on Friday, November 28th at 4:00 PM
Opponent #3: Cleveland State Vikings on Saturday, November 29th at 4:00 PM
Location: Woodling Gymnasium, Cleveland, Ohio

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Watch: ESPN+ (Saturday)
Watch: CSU Athletics YouTube (Wednesday and Friday)
Listen to All Games Live on WRAD AM 1460
Follow Live Stats Here

Last Time Out: The Highlanders enter the week after going 2-0 in games at the Dedmon Center last week. Radford found plenty of easy looks and continued to play stellar defense in Saturday's 80-58 win over Niagara. Anaiah Jenkins came off the bench to lead the Highlanders with 17 points on 6-12 shooting. Freshman Georgia Simonsen recorded her first double-double, adding 15 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks. Radford shot over 50 percent from the floor in the first half and 45.6 in the game. They also went 24-32 from the free throw line and won the rebounding battle 45-26.

Special Start: Georgia Simonsen was named Freshman of the Week for her outstanding performance in the wins against Furman and Niagara. She led the charge defensively, recording three blocks as well as eight rebounds, 10 points in an 18-point victory on Wednesday. The Fairfax, Va. native then had her first collegiate double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds – six offensive – in the 22-point win over Niagara. Simonsen leads the Big South with nine blocks and ranks fourth with 6.9 rebounds per game.

In the Details: With Saturday's win over Niagara, the Highlanders move to 4-0 at the Dedmon Center…4-0 against non-ACC opponents…3-1 when scoring 60+ points…4-0 when allowing 60 points or less…2-0 when shooting 40 percent or higher…4-0 when shooting more free throws than their opponent…3-1 when leading at half…2-2 in games decided by 20+ points…2-1 when coming off a win. This is the first time the program has been over .500 overall since being 2-1 through three games during the 2023-24 season.

Always Be Nice: Angelina Nice currently leads the team and ranks 14^th in the Big South with 10.0 points per game. She's shooting at a .480 clip (24-for-50) with eight made threes. The former walk-on led the Highlanders with a season-high 23 points against Loyola Maryland on November 11.

Joi to the World: Junior Joi Williams has gotten back on track offensively, scoring 14 points in each of the two wins last week. The guard is tied for seventh in the Big South with 12 made three-pointers. Williams is now tied for ninth in career three-point field goals made in Radford history with 111, closing in on eighth-place Corrie Fertitta (2004-08) who had 116. Her 341 three-point attempts also rank sixth on the Radford career list.

Everyone Plays: The Highlanders opened with their fourth different starting five in seven games on Saturday. Despite this, their leading scorer, Anaiah Jenkins (17 points), came off the bench. Radford's leading scorer has come off the bench in five of seven games. Nine players are averaging over 10 minutes of action per game, and all 14 players have logged in at least a few minutes this season.

Chase to 200: Head Coach Mike McGuire added win No. 196 in his career on Saturday. He is trying to become the first coach in Radford basketball history and the sixth in Big South women's basketball history to reach 200 career wins. He became the winningest coach in program history with his 194th win on November 11 in a 59-50 triumph over Loyola Maryland.

Scouting Valparaiso: The Beacons are looking for their first win after starting 0-5. They've faced some strong competition which includes losses at current No. 10 Iowa State (97-50) and (RV) South Dakota (85-44). They were picked to finish ninth in the Missouri Valley Conference. Senior guard Fiona Connolly leads the Beacons with 11.6 points per game, though she is 3-for-21 from behind the arc. This is Radford and Valparaiso's first meeting.

Scouting St. Bonaventure: The Bonnies are off to a hot 5-1 start. They lost their first contest in their last outing on November 22 vs. UAlbany (62-53). This week will be their first trip outside of the Empire State this season. Like Radford, St. Bonaventure has played and beaten Niagara, with the Bonnies winning 74-56 back on November 7. This is also Radford's first meeting against St. Bonaventure.

Scouting Cleveland State: The Vikings also picked up their first defeat in their last game, dropping a 75-68 loss to Northwestern at Welsh Ryan Arena. They've taken four wins against Chicago State, Cal State Fullerton, Pittsburgh at Johnstown, and Akron. The Vikings were picked to finish fourth in the Horizon League. They are led by graduate student Colbi Maples, who was named the Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year. She is averaging 16.6 points per game with 11 made threes. The Highlanders and Vikings have met once before, on January 2, 1988, at the FIU Sun n' Fun Classic in Miami, Florida. Radford came out on to 80-53.

FOLLOW RADFORD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
To follow the Radford women's basketball team throughout the season, visit RadfordAthletics.com, follow @Radford_WBB on X, 'radford_wbb' Instagram or Radford Women's Basketball on Facebook.

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Players Mentioned

#32 Angelina Nice: G; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#4 Joi Williams: G; 5' 6"; Junior

#23 Georgia Simonsen: F; 6' 1"; Freshman

#44 Anaiah Jenkins: F; 6' 0"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#32 Angelina Nice
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: G

#4 Joi Williams
: 5' 6"; Junior
: G

#23 Georgia Simonsen
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: F

#44 Anaiah Jenkins
: 6' 0"; Junior
: F