RADFORD, Va.- Sharie Hopkins, Katlin Moore and Bridget Takach each scored 10 points in Presbyterian College's 70-49 loss to Radford University at the Dedmon Center on Friday evening in its first game of the inaugural Radford Christmas Classic.
The Blue Hose fall to 1-13 on the season with the loss, while preseason Big South Conference favorite Radford improved to 9-4 overall with the victory.
Takach (Chapin, S.C.) was 4-of-7 from the field and was a perfect 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. She also grabbed four rebounds against the Highlanders.
Hopkins (Chesapeake, Va.) led all PC post players with 10 points to go along with four rebounds and five steals. Teammate Lea Smith (Marion, N.C.) led the team with eight rebounds.
Moore, a freshman from Fort Mill, S.C., connected on 50 percent of her shots (5-of-10) in the Lady Blue Hose loss.
Radford ended the evening with three players reaching double-figures with Corrie Fertitta posting a game-high 18 points. Fertitta was 6-of-11 from the floor and 3-of-6 from 3-point range.
Guard Vandy Pullen finished with 17 points, while center Kelli Darden anchored the middle for the Highlanders with 10 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocked shots.
PC finished the game by hitting 34.4 percent of their shots, connecting on 21 of their 61 shot attempts. Radford answered with a 40.7 percent (22-for-54) shooting performance from the floor.
Radford extended a seven point lead at halftime to 47-31 at the 12:54 mark of the second half after a three point play by Fertitta. From there the Highlanders would stretch the lead to as many as 24 points before PC closed the gap to 21 by the time of the final buzzer.
PC battled throughout the first half, rallying from an early 9-4 deficit at the 15:25 mark to tie the game at 14-14 on a jumper by Smith. The 10-5 run was sparked by four points each from Smith and Moore.
Tishe Sanders (Laurens, S.C.) sank a free-throw to give the Lady Blue Hose their only lead of the game as the defense held Radford without a point for a stretch of 6:10.
The Highlanders answered PC's run with a 16-10 run of their own to close out the final 7:08 of the first half and take a 32-25 lead into halftime.
PC closes out the Radford Christmas Classic at 3 p.m. Saturday with a game against the loser of the Kent State/UNC Wilmington game in the consolation game of the Christmas Classic.
