Box Score
RADFORD, Va.. -- Javonte Green scored 17 points and grabbed a career-high and game-high 19 rebounds, and all five starters reached double-figure scoring, as Radford University took a 93-76 Big South Conference men's basketball victory past Longwood University on Saturday evening at the Dedmon Center in Radford. The Highlanders (13-6, 3-1 Big South), who got a team-high 19 points from Ya Ya Anderson, led just 43-38 at halftime against the visiting Lancers (5-14, 0-4 Big South), and only 67-63 with 9:31 remaining, before eight unanswered points turned into a 26-13 game-ending run in a contest matching North Division opponents and in-state rivals. Senior captain
Tristan Carey/Colonial Beach scored a game-high 27 points to lead Longwood, while sophomore captain
Lucas Woodhouse/Greenlawn, New York added 17 points and a game-high 12 assists for his fourth double-double. Longwood will return home to host in-state archrival Liberty University, another North Division opponent, on Wednesday, January 22 at 7 p.m. at Willett Hall in Farmville.Â
"'I thought we played a very good basketball team today," said first-year Longwood head coach
Jayson Gee. "They were off to a hot start, and I thought he (RU head coach Mike Jones) had them ready to play. They hit us and we were able to counter-punch and hit them back … we just couldn't sustain the effort. I just thought Tristan was fantastic during that stretch of the second half when we fought back. The reality of it is that we're not defending … we just cannot get stops. Certainly, we need to go back to the drawing board and not feel sorry for ourselves, and find a way to get better."
Radford jumped out to a big lead over the first nine-plus minutes of the contest that was available exclusively on ESPN3, leading 30-11 at 10:50 behind 10 quick points from Anderson and six (of the first eight points of the game) from Brandon Holcomb. Longwood, however, fought back into the game with a 14-2 run that included five points each by Carey and Woodhouse, to pull within 32-25 at 7:31. The Highlanders, though, again extended their advantage to double figures at 41-29 with 4:54 on the first-half clock, getting a three-point play inside from Holcomb that started the 9-4 spurt. The Lancers responded once-again, outscoring RU 9-2, while closing to 43-38 at the intermission. Carey (12) and Woodhouse (8) combined for 20 first-half points, while Anderson (20) and Holcomb (9) totaled 19 points at the break.
Longwood continued its momentum to begin the second half, outscoring Radford 11-8 to pull within 51-49 at 15:52, getting five quick points from Carey and four from Woodhouse. The Highlanders answered back with a 12-5 run to lead 63-54 at 12:23, getting points from five different players, including three from Green. The Lancers were able to make another little push and closed to 67-63 on a three-point field goal by Carey with 9:31 remaining, but that was as close as the visitors would get. RU scored eight-straight points to lead 75-63 at 7:43, following three-pointers from Anderson and R.J. Price around two free throws by Holcomb. A pair of layups by redshirt-junior captain
Jeylani Dublin/Brooklyn, New York had Longwood within 77-67 at 6:28, but Radford outscored the Lancers 16-9 over the final 6:04, including eight late points from Green. It was the seventh consecutive loss for Longwood.
Carey led Longwood with his game-high 27 points, adding making 5-9 three-pointers. He now totals 1,254 career points and is now tied for 10th all-time (Joe Jones '96), and ranks third with 193 career three-pointers. Woodhouse finished with 17 points and a game-high 12 assists for his second-straight, and fourth double-double this season. He now totals 324 career assists to rank fifth all-time. Dublin had 12 points and five rebounds, off the bench, and Ziegler added 11 points and five rebounds, also off the bench. Longwood shot 43% (30-70) from the field, including 57% (8-14) on three-pointers and 57% (8-14) at the free throw line.
Anderson led Radford with his team-high 19 points, making 3-5 three-pointers. Green had 17 points and his career-high and game-high 19 rebounds for the Highlanders. Holcomb finished with a career-high 14 points, Price contributed 13 points and Kyle Noreen added 10 points. RU shot 49% (31-63) from the field, including 38% (6-16) on three-pointers and 89% (25-28) at the line. The Highlanders out-rebounded Longwood, 48-32.
Longwood and Radford were meeting for the 19th time in the sport since 1976-77, and the Highlanders now lead the series, 14-5, including 10-0 at Radford. The Lancers will host the Highlanders in Farmville on February 19.