Markus Terry scored a career-high in the first half alone with his 21 points to lead the Presbyterian College men's basketball team to a 36-35 lead at the break, but the Blue Hose suffered through a 22-6 run by Radford in the second half to fall to the Highlanders, 83-66, in Big South action this afternoon at the Templeton Center.
The Blue Hose (5-20, 1-9) are back in action Wednesday, Feb. 12, in Buies Creek, N.C. as PC takes on Campbell in a 7 p.m. contest. The Highlanders (16-9, 6-4) host UNC Asheville Feb. 13 at 7 p.m.
Terry finished the afternoon with 29 points, followed by Jordan Downing who had 23. Ed Drew pulled down a career-high nine rebounds to pace the Blue Hose defensively. Ya Ya Anderson connected on 23 points to lead Radford, with Javonte Green and Rashun Davis collecting 15points apiece. Green recorded a double-double with 11 rebounds as well.
Radford shot 55.6% from the field in the game after firing a blistering 69.0% in the second half. The Blue Hose shot 44.1% for the game, 39.3% in the second. The Blue Hose pulled down five less rebounds, 30-35, with turnovers tied at 10-10. PC was just two-of-12 from the perimeter, while the Highlanders were seven-of-16.
A tight contest in the first half, neither team could establish much of a lead, the largest in the first 15 minutes of the half a three-point margin in favor of PC, 12-9, with 12:33 to go.
Trailing 23-24 with 6:10 remaining, the Blue Hose used a layup and three-pointer by Downing in a 6-0 run to take its largest lead of the game at six, 30-24, at the five minute mark.
Radford rallied back to within one, 32-31 off a Jalen Carethers basket at 2:52 and took the lead off a Davis layup. PC hit collected four of the games next six points to head into the locker room with the one-point 36-35 lead.
Both PC and Radford traded baskets to open the second half, with a downing jumper at 17:10 giving PC a three-point lead. It was short-lived as the Highlanders went on a 6-0 run to take their own three-point lead, 47-44, at the 15:13 mark of the second half.
Radford took its largest lead of the game off an Anderson three-pointer that made it 50-46 in favor of the Highlanders with 13:25 to go. A Terry lay-up cut the margin to two just under a minute later, while two free throws from Downing knotted the game for the 11th time of the game, 50-50, with 11:42 on the clock.
Leading by one, 61-60, Radford, which shot 69.0% in the second half, started clicking on offense and went on a 22-6 run, highlighted by eight points from Green, to pull away from the Blue Hose. A Brandon Holcomb basket at the 43 second mark proved to be the final points as the Highlanders came away with the 83-66 win.
