Women's Basketball 12/30/2025 10:30:00 AM

Women’s Basketball Set for New Year’s Eve Tussle at Presbyterian

RADFORD, Va. – The Radford Highlanders (8-7) conclude the calendar year with their Big South opener, taking on Presbyterian (2-11) on New Year's Eve at the Templeton Center in Clinton, S.C.

SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent: Presbyterian Blue Hose (2-11)
Date/Time: Sunday, December 31st at Noon
Location: Templeton Center, Clinton, S.C.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
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KEY STORYLINES
Last Time Out: Radford came up short in a 79-47 loss to ACC-power Virginia Tech in their last game on December 21 in Blacksburg. The Highlanders smothered the Hokies early to lead through parts of the second quarter before failing to keep up with the Virginia Tech pace. Despite the loss, the Highlanders finished the non-conference portion of the schedule with eight wins, the most since the 2007-08 season.

In the Details: With the loss at Virginia Tech, the Highlanders fell to 1-5 on the road…2-3 in games decided by 30+ points…0-4 against ACC opponents…1-6 when trailing at the half…3-7 when shooting less than 40 percent…3-6 when being outrebounded…1-5 when opponent has more free throw attempts…0-4 when scoring less than 50 points.

Georgia on my Mind: Georgia Simonsen notched her second Big South Freshman of the Week award of the season following two strong performances against Hampton and Virginia Tech. She added her second double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds against Hampton. The Fairfax native followed by tying a career high with 15 points against the Hokies, becoming the first Radford freshman since 2014 to have double figures against Virginia Tech. She is averaging 8.1 points per game and leads the team with 6.0 rebounds per contest. Simonsen also leads the Big South with 16 blocks.

Christmas Joi: Junior guard Joi Williams once again reached double figures to lead the Highlanders with 10 at Virginia Tech. After getting off to a slow start this season, the Big South Preseason All-Conference member is ninth in the Big South with 12.3 points per contest. Williams is averaging 20.6 points per game this month.

Windows are Clean: As a team, Radford has grabbed 40+ rebounds in six consecutive games, dating back to their contest at Cleveland State on November 29. They are second in rebounds per game in the Big South with 41.0, trailing USC Upstate by just 0.3 boards per contest. Radford also ranks second in the Big South in defensive rebounds (27.3 per game) and third in rebounding margin.

Everyone Plays: The Highlanders have used nine different starting lineups in 15 games. Radford's leading scorer has come off the bench in nine games. Ten players are averaging over 10 minutes of action per game, and all 14 players have logged in at least a few minutes this season. Williams is the only player averaging over double digits per contest (12.3), while Georgia Simonsen is the only player averaging over five rebounds per game (6.0).

Milestone Mike: Head Coach Mike McGuire became the first Radford basketball coach and the sixth Big South women's basketball coach to reach 200 career wins after the victory at Hampton, joining Carey Green (440 at Liberty, 1999-2018), Rick Reeves (290 at Liberty [1991-1999] and Gardner-Webb [2008-2018]), Ronny Fisher (232 at Presbyterian [2008-2016] and Campbell [2016-2023]), Wanda Watkins (230 at Campbell 1986-1994 and 2011-2016), and Alan LeForce (228 at Coastal Carolina 1997-2013). He is the fourth coach to get 200 wins at the same institution in the Big South.

Scouting Presbyterian: The Blue Hose have yet to beat another NCAA Division I opponent and have only finished one game within 10 points against a DI program (Nov. 14 vs. UNC Greensboro, 53-57). Presbyterian is currently ranked 363^rd (dead last) in the NCAA Net Rankings, as of December 28. They are led offensively by Senegalese senior Aminata Tal (9.8 ppg), who had a season-best 20 points against Erskine back on November 17. Radford leads the all-time series 29-12 and won last season's meeting in Clinton, 62-50, back on January 25.

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

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

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

Players Mentioned

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

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

Players Mentioned

#4 Joi Williams

#23 Georgia Simonsen

Players Mentioned

#4 Joi Williams

#23 Georgia Simonsen