Women's Basketball 3/19/2026 10:30:00 AM

Highlanders Primed For Battle With Morehead State in WNIT Opener

RADFORD, Va. – The Radford Highlanders women's basketball team is prepped and ready to go for their first home postseason game in program history, as they host Morehead State on Friday, March 20 at 7:00 p.m. to begin the WNIT.

With the game come a great deal of firsts – the first postseason basketball game at the Dedmon Center, the first game in this iteration of the WNIT, and the first time the Highlanders are playing beyond the conference tournament since 2019. The winner of the game moves on to the second round, where they'll face Arkansas State.

SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent: Morehead State Eagles (18-14, 13-7 OVC)
Date/Time: Friday, March 20th at 7:00 p.m.
Location: Carilion Clinic Court at the Dedmon Center, Radford, Va.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
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KEY STORYLINES
Last Time Out: Radford came up a handful of points shy of making the NCAA Tournament, falling to High Point, 71-67, in the Big South championship game in Johnson City, Tenn. back on Sunday, March 8. Joi Williams put together another signature performance, scoring 30 points to lead all scorers in the contest. The Highlanders had a couple chances to tie in the closing seconds, but both Cate Carlson and Williams missed three-point attempts with under five seconds left. Despite the loss, Radford clinched a spot in the postseason after finishing second in the conference and top-seed High Point going to the NCAA Tournament.

A Joi to Watch: Joi Williams set a Radford record with 76 total points scored in the Big South Tournament, adding 31 against Charleston Southern, 15 against Longwood, and 30 against High Point. It's the third-most points scored in Big South WBB Tournament history. Including a 36-point performance against Navy on December 4, Williams has scored 30+ in three games. She is one of five players in Radford history to do so; only Stephanie Howard (87-88 and 88-89), Patrinda Toney (91-92), Shannan Wilkey (93-94), and Lori Mitchell (98-99) scored 30+ points in at least three games in a season. Williams ranks 20^th in all-time scoring at Radford after reaching 1,000 career points vs. Presbyterian on February 25. Williams was named to the Big South All-Tournament Team and First Team All-Big South.

Super Freshman: Georgia Simonsen received all-tournament honors after scoring 20 points against both Charleston Southern and Longwood. Prior to the conference tournament, she was named Big South Freshman of the Year. The forward from Fairfax, Va. is the first Radford freshman since at least before 2000 to score 20+ points in four consecutive games from February 25-March 7. Simonsen is averaging 17.2 ppg over her past six games and is shooting at a 59.7% rate in that span.

Matchup Facts: Radford and Morehead State have played 11 times, with their first meeting coming in 1977 and most recent in 2019. The Eagles control the series 6-5. Morehead State won the scheduled home-and-home series in 2018 and 2019, taking a 79-72 win at the Dedmon Center on December 15, 2018, and a 73-62 win in Kentucky on November 30, 2019. Prior to that series, the two had not met since a holiday tournament at Western Carolina in November of 1994. Current Radford assistant coach Ben Edelburg served as a graduate assistant at Morehead State during the 2023-24 season.

Team Record Watch: By making the WNIT, the Highlanders will tie the record for most games played in a single season with the 35 played by the 2007-08 squad. A win on Friday will break the record. This year's team has already taken and made the most three-pointers in a season (245-787). The team also ranks in the top 10 in assists (T-3^rd), points scored (5^th), field goal attempts (5^th), wins (7^th), and rebounds (7^th).

Freebird: The Eagles are coming off an exit of the Ohio Valley Tournament, falling to No. 8 seed Southeast Missouri State in the quarterfinals with a 60-55 loss in Evansville, Ind. The Eagles shot just 37 percent from the floor and 22 percent from three. The 18 wins for Morehead State are the most for the Eagles since 2018-19. They are led by Kate Dike who was selected first team all-conference. The Ukrainian has reached double figures in 17 of 18 games.

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.

#RadfordTough | #RiseAndDefend

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