Redshirt freshman Carlik Jones poured in a career-high 19 points off the bench, but the Radford men’s basketball team couldn’t overcome a hot start to the second half by Ohio State and ultimately fell, 82-72, in Value City Arena Sunday afternoon.
Jones, a Cincinnati, Ohio native, came to play with 100 friends and family in the stands cheering him on. He knocked down six-of-eight shots including a perfect four-for-four clip from beyond the arc while adding three assists and two rebounds across 25 minutes. It was the second time in as many games that Jones has led the Highlanders in scoring.
His big day was one of several strong performances from bench players, helping the Highlanders own a 46-11 advantage in overall bench scoring. Senior center Randy Phillips provided 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the floor and a 4-for-5 day at the charity stripe while junior guard Caleb Tanner knocked down two threes and two free throws for eight points.
With the loss, the Highlanders drop to 1-1 on the season while Ohio State stays perfect at 2-0.
What hurt the Highlanders in their mission to upset the Buckeyes was a scoring drought to begin the second half. With the game within arm’s reach at 44-34 at the halftime break, Ohio State burst out of the locker room to go on a 17-1 run across the first 6:43 of the period.
After the Buckeye lead grew to a game-high 26 points, Tanner knocked down back-to-back three-pointers at the 13:17 and 9:25-minute marks to help the Highlanders stay in the game.
Both sides battled throughout the second half, with Radford showing they weren’t going to back down. It was how the Highlanders finished the game that revealed what their squad is made of.
With 2:11 remaining in regulation, Phillips went strong to the basket and drew a foul before hitting one of two free throws. That point began a 13-1 run that would close out the game. Jones found the bottom of the net on three three-pointers and freshman guard Anias Saunders added a three of his own during his collegiate debut.
A high-press defensive strategy in the second half proved to be effective as well as the Highlanders held the Buckeyes without a basket for the final 3-minutes and 10-seconds of the game. Radford held Ohio State to 43-percent shooting including a 29.6-percent (8-for-27) showing from long distance.
Travis Fields, Jr. and Devonnte Holland each made their first career starts in a Radford uniform. It was the second game as a Highlander for Fields, Jr. and 29th for Holland.
The Radford men’s basketball program is now 1-7 against Big Ten opposition and 0-3 against Ohio State all-time.
As a team, Radford shot 50 percent (11-for-22) from three-point range, their best shooting percentage from three since going 14-for-26 (54-percent) against Charleston Southern on Feb. 9, 2017.
Junior center Darius Bolstad recorded his first block of the season after leading the Highlanders with 46 a season ago. Senior guard Christian Bradford also recorded a block on the night, only the second of his career.
Radford showed an aptitude for racking up the fast break points once again, outgaining Ohio State, 11-4, in that category.
The Buckeyes are a strong rebounding team and showed it again on Sunday, outrebounding the Highlanders by a 45-33 margin.
Despite being outscored 17-1 to start the second half, the period’s final tally was an even 38-38.
“When you come to play a big-time opponent you obviously can’t go scoreless for a long period of time and still expect to win, but I liked how we played, especially in the first half. We came out and played hard, but dumb mistakes and missed shots really hurt us in the end,” said Head Coach Mike Jones.
Radford men’s basketball will play its third game of the season in its third different state when the team makes it way down to Greenville, N.C. to take on East Carolina. The game is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. inside Minges Coliseum.
–RU Athletics
