JONESBORO, Ark. – The Radford Highlanders women’s basketball team’s first postseason run since 2019 came to an end on Monday night, falling to Arkansas State, 83-52, on Monday night at First National Bank Arena.
KEY STATS
- The Highlanders played 36 games this season, the most in program history. Their 23 wins are the most since 2018-19 and tied for the fifth all-time in program history.
- Joi Williams led the Highlanders with 18 points. By making four three-pointers, she tied the single-season record with 95, equaling Ayana Avery’s mark set back in the 2013-14 season.
PLAY BY PLAY
Arkansas State led out of the gates, jumping ahead 6-0. Georgia Simonsen got open and sunk the first basket for Radford just over a couple minutes in. Joi Williams cut the deficit to two points by making a pair of free throws near the middle of the quarter. The Highlanders defense held Arkansas State scoreless for nearly four minutes. The Red Wolves got going again and closed the first on a 10-2 run to lead by 10 after 10 minutes.
The Highlanders ended a field goal drought of several minutes, with Simonsen scoring in the paint to get Radford to double digits. However, Arkansas State found their stroke from beyond the arc, making five trifectas in the quarter to add to their lead. Williams also hit from deep with a pair of triples, but it was all Red Wolves at the break, up 42-22.
Williams jolted Arkansas State with back-to-back made three-pointers to start the third quarter, bringing the deficit down to 14 points a minute into the second half. Simonsen then got going, making a couple in the paint to keep the pressure up. A three-point play by Ellie Taylor got Radford within 11 points with 5:33 left in the third. At that point, Radford was on a 16-7 run to start the second half. Radford kept looking for and getting good looks and getting shots to fall, but a 7-0 run by the Red Wolves later in the third put them ahead by 17 after three.
Arkansas State quelled the Radford run in the third quarter with one of their own in the fourth. Though somewhat of a respectable score after three, the Red Wolves ended the game on a 9-0 run to win 83-52.
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