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CarlsonRecap12826
Rob Simmons
67
Winner Radford Rad 14-9,6-2 Big South
29
USC Upstate USCU 6-16,1-7 Big South
Winner
Radford Rad
14-9,6-2 Big South
67
Final
29
USC Upstate USCU
6-16,1-7 Big South
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Radford Rad 19 12 20 16 67
USC Upstate USCU 2 10 10 7 29

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Highlanders Smother Spartans to Take Fifth Straight Victory

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Radford women's basketball team (14-9, 6-2 BSC) never trailed against USC Upstate in a runaway 67-29 win over the Spartans on Wednesday night at the G.B. Hodge Center. It's the Highlanders fifth-straight triumph and their second conference win of more than 35 points.

KEY STATS
  • The 29 points allowed are the fewest given up in the Mike McGuire era (since 2013-14). The last time the Highlanders held an opponent under 30 was against Presbyterian on January 23, 2012, in the Dedmon Center (53-29).
  • Radford made a season-best 13 three-pointers, the most in a game since February 8, 2025, in an 80-67 victory vs. Longwood (also 13). They also shot 50 percent (13-26) from beyond the arc, doing so for the first time since February 26, 2025, vs. Gardner-Webb.
  • Cate Carlson led all scorers with 17 points, including making five trifectas.
  • Georgia Simonsen ended the night a rebound shy of what would have been her third double-double, finishing with 13 points and nine boards.
  • Radford nearly forced twice as many turnovers as USC Upstate had made baskets, with 23 turnovers to 12 field goals.
PLAY BY PLAY
The game was tied for all of 41 seconds before Carlson made her first three-pointer to give Radford a 3-0 start. It would be the closest the Spartans would be the entire game. Joi Williams followed with another make from beyond the arc, and some scoring from the line and in the paint by Simonsen made it a 10-0 burst for Radford less than three minutes in. The Highlanders continued to turn up the pressure on the defensive end, getting eight turnovers in the opening chapter. It was all Radford on an 18-0 run before USC Upstate scored their first points with just over a minute left in the first.

Despite the rough start, the Spartans began slowly cutting into the deficit, going on a steady 7-2 run to open the second period. Angelina Nice broke the scoreless streak with a three-pointer midway through the quarter, and Williams followed with another three a few moments later. Anna Stromberg got a nice feed from Ellie Taylor to beat the halftime horn and take a 31-12 advantage into the locker room. The defense caused 13 turnovers at half and held USC Upstate to make five of 23 shots through the first 20 minutes.

Radford opened the second half like how they began the contest, going on an 8-0 run and keeping the Spartans from scoring through the first three and a half minutes of the second half. USC Upstate reached the 20-point plateau with 2:52 remaining in the third, but Radford had a commanding 21-point lead. Carlson sunk a pair from deep on consecutive trips down the floor to make it 47-20 and give her a dozen in the game at the 1:52 mark. The Highlanders poured a few more on for a 51-22 lead after three.

The Highlanders kept their foot on the gas to the very end. A 7-0 run in the middle of the quarter began with an impressive steal by Williams and dish to Carlson for three, making it a 60-27 game with 4:54 left. USC Upstate scored just once over the final seven minutes of action. Anaiah Jenkins' jumper in the final minute was the finishing touch of a dominating victory in Spartanburg.

McGUIRE QUOTABLE
"Our ladies started the game with great focus and strong intensity," said McGuire after the game. "We knew we needed a strong defensive effort tonight to set the tone against a team that has more size than us. We had a strong start, but I am just as proud of our third quarter. We continued to focus on the game plan in the second half. The three-point makers were also a key part of this game and were led by Cate (Carlson). It's tough to win on the road in conference play, so we need to enjoy this important win!"

UP NEXT
The Highlanders return home to take on Winthrop on Saturday, January 31. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. from the Dedmon Center. Catch the action in person, on ESPN+ or follow along with Tom Purvis on WRAD Radford Sports Radio.

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.
#RadfordTough | #RiseAndDefend
 
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