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65
Winner Radford Rad 20-11,12-4 Big South
59
Gardner-Webb GW 12-18,9-7 Big South
Winner
Radford Rad
20-11,12-4 Big South
65
Final
59
Gardner-Webb GW
12-18,9-7 Big South
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Radford Rad 12 21 17 15 65
Gardner-Webb GW 16 16 17 10 59

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Late Defensive Stops Help Highlanders Sink Runnin’ Bulldogs, Secure 20-Win Season

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – In a game that went back-and-forth throughout, the Radford women's basketball team held Gardner-Webb scoreless while going on a 6-0 run in the final three and a half minutes to take down the Runnin' Bulldogs, 65-59, on Saturday afternoon at Paul Porter Arena. The victory gives the Highlanders their first 20-win season since 2018-19 and locks up the No. 2 seed in the Air Force Reserve Big South Tournament.

KEY STATS
  • Georgia Simonsen continued to shine in the paint, leading the Highlanders with 20 points and nine rebounds.
  • Radford made their free throws when they mattered most, sinking each of their final five over the final three minutes to help take the win.
  • Angelina Nice made a career-high four three-pointers in an explosive first half. She finished with 15 points while adding six rebounds.
  • Though cooling off from deep in the second half, Radford made six of 11 shots from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes. Gardner-Webb also matched that ratio from deep.
  • In addition to reaching 20 wins, Radford finishes the regular season with seven road victories, the most since 2019-20.
 
PLAY BY PLAY
Gardner-Webb established their style of play out of the gates, forcing Radford into half-court sets and tipping every pass they could. Simonsen got her day going with a layup on the Highlanders' second possession. Next trip, Williams answered a Gardner-Webb trifecta with one of her own to make it 5-3. However, the Runnin' Bulldogs buckled down to go on an 8-0 run to control things. Cate Carlson ended a Radford scoring drought with 3:41 remaining in the first, but Gardner-Webb answered and led by as many as nine. Nice then hit a forced three-pointer and followed with a layup on a great drive to cut the deficit to four at the end of one.

A slow start to the second quarter eventually turned into a three-point shooting contest. The Highlanders found space in the paint, with a Simonsen basket followed by an Ellie Taylor make off the window tied things at 16-16 with 7:37 left before half. Nice sunk her second three of the game to give Radford a lead, then had a third a few minutes later. Both teams traded trifectas multiple times between with 2:10 to 59 seconds left before half. Gardner-Webb looked to tie it at the break with a score coming with nine seconds left, but a great offensive rebound and quick put back attempt by Taylor drew a foul, and she sunk one of the free throws to make it 33-32 Radford at the break.

The Highlanders missed each of their first four shots of the third before Carlson broke the seal, sinking a three ball to tie things 36-36 with 7:38 left in the third. Williams got going from beyond the arc, cashing a pair of threes to keep Radford's lead at double digits through the middle of the quarter. However, the Runnin' Bulldogs battled back again to take a one point lead into the fourth.

Up until the final 28 seconds, the contest remained definitively in the balance. A ton of physical play by both defenses slowed the contest down. Momentum began to swing the Highlanders way after a third-chance basket by Simonsen gave Radford the lead back with six minutes left. Carlson added a layup on a nice one-on-one play underneath to grow that lead to three, and Simonsen found nylon again to make it 58-53 with 4:38 remaining. That's when Gardner-Webb went on a run. Down three, Jaelyn Acker was brushed by Williams on a three-point attempt, but drew enough contact to get a foul call. Acker made the three and free throw for a four-point play, putting the Runnin' Bulldogs up one with 3:34 left.

Karma seemingly came back around, as Williams was fouled on her three-point attempt and made all three from the line to put Radford up two with two minutes left. The Highlanders forced a pair of misses to have the lead and the ball with under a minute left. Simonsen got fouled on an attempt underneath and stayed cool at the line to sink both and make it a four-point game with 28 seconds left. A couple frantic misses by Gardner-Webb resulted in the Highlanders taking it back, and Williams did a great job running the clock down to just two seconds before she was fouled. For safe measure, the junior made two more from the line to secure the 65-59 victory.

McGUIRE QUOTABLE
"Today was a tough game and we knew it would be," Head Coach Mike McGuire said postgame. "Gardner-Webb is disciplined and plays to their strengths well. I'm happy for our team to finish the week 2-0. This team has developed into one of the top teams in this program's strong history. This team has amazing qualities and they have been a blessing to coach."

UP NEXT
The Highlanders will head to Johnson City, Tenn. as the No. 2 seed of the Air Force Reserves Big South Women's Basketball Championship. Stayed tuned for details on social media, as the full matchups and game times will be released by the conference and shared on the Radford women's basketball pages.

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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