Women's Basketball 1/20/2026 10:30:00 AM

Women’s Basketball Looks to Defend Home Court Against Longwood

RADFORD, Va. – On Wednesday, the Dedmon Center will host a battle between two of the top three teams in the Big South, as the Highlanders host in-state foe Longwood. Radford will try to extend their winning streak to three, while the Lancers are trying to bounce back after their first conference loss this past Saturday.

SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent: Longwood Lancers (13-5, 4-1 BSC)
Date/Time: Wednesday, January 21st at 7:00 p.m.
Location: Carilion Clinic Court at the Dedmon Center, Radford, Va.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
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FACULTY AND STAFF APPRECIATION NIGHT
Back by popular demand! Faculty and staff are invited to bring their RU ID to the box office to receive two free tickets. Additional discounted tickets are available starting at $5.

KEY STORYLINES
Last Time Out: Radford picked up a huge 67-65 win at Winthrop on Saturday, picking up their second road win of conference play. Leading through most of the contest, the Highlanders weathered a Winthrop rally, with freshman forward Georgia Simonsen adding a clutch block in the closing seconds. Junior Joi Williams led the Highlanders with 16 points, while the team tied a season-high with 12 three-pointers.

In the Details: The victory improved the Highlanders to 3-2 in Big South play…3-6 away from the Dedmon Center…5-5 coming off a win…1-1 in games decided by one possession …9-2 when leading at half…5-9 when shooting less than 40 percent…8-0 when outrebounding their opponent…9-2 when scoring 60+ points…10-3 when holding their opponents under 70 points…7-4 when making more three-pointers than opponent.

A Look Back: This is the 55th meeting all-time. The two programs first met in 1972. Longwood won two of the three meeting last season, including a 73-65 final in the semifinals of the Big South Tournament. The Highlanders are trying to win their third straight against the Lancers at the Dedmon Center.

A Joi(ous) Occasion: Joi Williams had another great game. 16 points with an impressive five assists against Winthrop on Saturday. She is the lone Highlander to average over 10+ points a game (12.6). The junior is currently fifth on the Radford all-time 3-pt field goals made list with 145 made. She trails fourth place Ashley Buckhannon (2009-13) by 13 field goals. Williams also has 836 career points, 164 short of reaching 1,000 career points. Radford is 6-2 when Williams makes at least three trifectas.

Georgia on my Mind: Though a quieter game on the offensive end, Georgia Simonsen came through with six rebounds to go with six points and two huge blocks in the win on Saturday. The last block came in the closing seconds, as Winthrop's attempt to take the lead with a three-pointer was swatted away by the freshman. She now leads the Big South with 21 blocks.

Making it Rain: Radford tied a season-high with 12 made trifectas at Winthrop, with the previous being the double overtime win vs. Navy on December 4. The 48 percent clip from beyond the arc was the best this season. Williams and junior Cate Carlson added four big ones, with four others adding one each. Kirah Dandridge's three-pointer in the fourth quarter was crucial, making it an eight-point game with 2:06 remaining in regulation.

Moving on Up: Mike McGuire moved up to fourth place on the Big South wins list, surpassing Wanda Watkins (Campbell) with his 136th win in conference play on Saturday. He is 10 wins behind former Presbyterian and current Campbell head coach Ronny Fisher for third place, who had 146 victories in his 15 seasons as a coach in the conference.

Scouting Longwood: The Lancers enter the game with the best offense in the Big South, averaging a league-best 79.4 points per contest. They also lead the conference in three-point shooting (34.7 percent) and are second overall (42.1 percent). In addition, Longwood has the top turnover margin at 8.17, forcing on average 24.8 turnovers a contest. Forward Otaifo Esenabhalu has grabbed the most boards in the Big South with 151, averaging over a rebound per game more than second place Aijah Palmer (7.7) from USC Upstate. Jasmine Peaks is also crucial for the Lancers' offense, with the redshirt senior averaging 3.9 assists per game.

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

#8 Cate Carlson: G; 5' 10"; Junior

#5 Kirah Dandridge: G; 5' 10"; Senior

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

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

Players Mentioned

#8 Cate Carlson
: 5' 10"; Junior
: G

#5 Kirah Dandridge
: 5' 10"; Senior
: G

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

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