RADFORD, Va. – The Presbyterian College women's basketball team shot nearly 50 percent in its Big South Conference road game on Saturday afternoon, but the host Radford Highlanders used a late first-half surge to take a 75-68 win.
PC moves to 12-12 on the year and 7-8 in the Big South. The Blue Hose return home to host Coastal Carolina on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the team's Play 4Kay Pink Out game. Radford improves to 13-10 and 10-4 in League play.
Radford took a late lead near the end of the first half and never trailed in the second en route to the win. The Highlanders took advantage of a season-high 26 PC fouls, going 27-for-34 on free throws.
Freshman guard Cortney Storey (Fayetteville, Tenn.) tallied a career-high 18 points and six assists in the effort. Aianna Kelly (Newport News, Va.) added 10 points and four assists while Rebecca Walker (Snellville, Ga.) led all players on the boards with a career-high nine rebounds. Radford's Aisha Foy scored a game-high 23 points.
The Blue Hose hit 22 of their 46 shots for a 47.8 shooting percentage while going 17-for-19 from the free-throw line, a season-best 89.5 percent.
PC controlled most of an evenly-matched first half, leading for nearly 14 of the opening 20 minutes. The Blue Hose built a 24-17 lead before the Highlanders closed the period on a 16-6 run to go ahead 33-30 at halftime. Janie Miles (Clemson, S.C.) scored six points in the first half—all on long range shots early—and Allie Wagner (Easley, S.C.) added five.
PC broke a 13-13 tie with five straight points and continued to add to its lead from the free-throw line. The Blue Hose shot above 40 percent in the first half and made all 11 of their free throws, including two from Rebecca Walker for a 24-17 lead with 7:38 before the break.
Radford answered by way of an Aisha Foy trey and six straight free throws to go up by two. Noelle Carter (Neptune, N.J.) tied the game with 2:13 left and pulled PC back within one in the final minute, Radford continue to push PC back in the closing seconds for a 33-30 halftime lead.
Radford began the second half on an 8-2 run around an Allie Wagner layup, but PC pulled back within five on a Janie Miles free throw and a Cortney Storey three-pointer.
Jayda Worth then hit two straight jumpers for nine-point lead and free throws helped the Highlanders go up by 10.
PC slashed the lead in half midway through the period, but Radford went right back up by 10. The Blue Hose would narrow the gap to four with 2:29 to go, but five straight points from Foy put the game out of reach for good.
