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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Taylor320MSU
Matthew Maldonado
58
Morehead St. More 18-15,13-7 OVC
77
Winner Radford Rad 23-12,12-4 Big South
Morehead St. More
18-15,13-7 OVC
58
Final
77
Radford Rad
23-12,12-4 Big South
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Morehead St. More 19 11 13 15 58
Radford Rad 18 25 20 14 77

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Huge Crowd Boosts Highlanders to Victory in First WNIT Home Game

RADFORD, Va. – The Radford Highlanders women's basketball team took care of business in the opening round of the WNIT, squashing Morehead State 77-56 in front of 1,134 fans at the Dedmon Center on Friday night. The win puts Radford into the second round, where they'll play at Arkansas State on Monday, March 23 at 8:00 p.m.

KEY STATS
  • Five different Highlanders reached double figures for the first time since December 20, 2024 vs. UVA Wise.
  • The key run came in the second quarter, when the Highlanders outscored the Eagles 23-5 over the final seven minutes of the first half.
  • Radford forced 22 turnovers in the game, including 15 in the first half and six over the final three and a half minutes of the second quarter.
  • Cate Carlson led all scorers with 20 points and made eight of 15 attempts from the floor.
  • Georgia Simonsen finished with a double-double, adding a dozen points with 10 rebounds.
  • Radford converted on 16 of 20 free throw attempts, while Morehead State made just three of seven from the line.
  • The win is Radford's first postseason victory since winning at Penn State on March 15, 2018, also in the first round of the WNIT.
PLAY BY PLAY
The first quarter was a faced-paced, back-and-forth affair. Joi Williams sunk the game's first basket, a trifecta just over a minute in. Morehead State held in and went ahead through the middle part of the first, going on a 7-0 run to go up 17-12. Radford fought back to tie it, as Angelina Nice hit a clutch three, and a nice steal and score by Cherish Haywood tied it at 17-17 with 2:17 left in the first. The Eagles clung to a 19-18 lead after one.

Radford got off to a slow start in the second before playing suffocating defense. Carlson tied the game at 25-25 on another three, and several trips to the free throw line put the Highlanders ahead by more than a handful through the middle of the quarter. After Morehead State made it a one-point game with 4:12 left before halftime, Carlson sunk another clutch three while being fouled. Though she missed the free throw and four-point play, Ellie Taylor made some free throws after being fouled on dribble drives to the cup. Another Haywood steal made it a double-digit lead for the Highlanders with 1:41 left before half, and Williams sunk a pair of free throws to close the first half on a 12-0 run to make it 43-30 at the break.

The Highlanders again started slowly in the third, but Taylor got the momentum going the Highlanders way by hitting an open three with 6:39 left in the quarter. Carlson switch from her sharpshooting role to work in the paint, backing her way in for a couple baskets underneath to make it 52-38. Radford closed the third on a 7-1 run to extend the lead all the way out to 20 points with just 10 minutes left to play.

Morehead State became desperate in the fourth quarter, shooting 10 three-pointers in the final chapter. Though they managed to pull the deficit under 20, the Highlanders continued to hit shots from all over the floor. The Radford faithful willed their team to a win in their first-ever postseason home game, taking it in a 77-58 final.

UP NEXT
The Highlanders move on to the second round of the WNIT and face the Arkansas State Red Wolves. Game time is set for Monday, March 23 at 8:00 p.m. The game will also air on ESPN+ from First National Bank Arena in Jonesboro, Ark.

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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