Men's Basketball 2/20/2026 1:00:00 PM

Men’s Basketball Visits UNC Asheville for Crucial Late Season Match-Up

RADFORD, Va. – The Radford men's basketball program goes back on the road Saturday afternoon for a pivotal meeting with UNC Asheville as the team looks to avenge their earlier season loss to the Bulldogs.

SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent: UNC Asheville Bulldogs
Date/Time: Saturday, February 21st at 4:30 PM
Location: Kimmel Arena – Asheville, N.C.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Watch Live on ESPN+
Listen Live with Rick Watson on 103.5 FM
Follow Live Stats Here

A LOOK BACK
Radford and UNC Asheville last met early in conference play on January 10th inside the Dedmon Center with the Bulldogs coming out with the 91-72 win. The loss is the Highlanders' lone double-digit loss in Big South play this season. The Bulldogs used an elite three-point shooting performance and got major performances from Kameron Taylor (27 points) and DJ Patrick (24 points). Radford wasn't totally held quiet as Dennis Parker Jr. posted a 24 point, 10 rebound double-double. While Jaylon Johnson, Del Jones and Frederik Erichsen all finished in double figures the Highlanders offense struggled to get going posting just an 11% shooting clip from three, their lowest mark this season.

RIGSBY JR. STEPS UP IN FIRST START OF SEASON
The senior leader stepped up big for the Highlanders in their most recent victory over Gardner-Webb, scoring in double figures in his first start of the season. Filling in for Jaylon Johnson, who was out of the game due to sickness, he also helped navigate the Highlanders' offense without their leading assister with a team and season-high five assists. The assists mark actually tied his season high which he also set against Gardner-Webb earlier in the season.

WINNING BEYOND THE ARC
In their attempt to avenge the earlier season loss, one thing the Highlanders will look to flip the script on is how the three-point battle went down in January. Posting their season-low three-point shooting clip played a large role in the lopsided loss, and overall this season 11 of Radford's 14 wins have come when either outshooting or tying their opponent in the battle from beyond the arc. Johnson and Parker Jr. each have over 50 threes for Radford this season and lead the team from deep, with Louie Jordan heating up as of late with six threes in his last three games.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
UNC Asheville will enter Saturday's game looking to snap a two-game losing skid while hosting their alumni weekend festivities. Most recently, the team fell on the road to High Point 74-48 on ESPNU as the offense was never able to get going. The Bulldogs are no stranger to the national state, though, upending Longwood on ESPNU just a week prior.

Saturday's game will come on ESPN+ and the Highlanders will look to limit the explosive play ability of Taylor and Justin Wright. The duo is combining to average over 37 points per game against Big South foes this season with Taylor averaging over 20 points on his own. The Bulldogs are top three in the conference when it comes to their own three-point shooting while also limiting their opponents from deep to just a 32% clip, also ranking top three.

STAY SOCIAL WITH RADFORD MEN'S BASKETBALL
For all the latest on Radford men's basketball, be sure to follow the team on X (@RadfordHoops), Instagram (@radfordhoops), and "like" the team's official Facebook Page (Radford Men's Basketball).

#RiseAndDefend

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