A slow start hampered Radford early in the contest as the Highlanders were unable overcome the early deficit, falling to James Madison 62-35 in the second round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), Saturday night inside the JMU Convocation Center.
Radford finishes the season with a 24-9 overall record, winning 24 games in back-to-back seasons, which rank second in program history. The 48-17 record over the last two seasons is the best two-year stretch in program history.
The Highlanders’ senior class of Janayla White, Jayda Worthy and Claudia Quevedo finished their careers with an 83-45 record.
Meeting for the second straight season in the WNIT, James Madison scored the first 13 points of the game, holding Radford to only free throws through the first five minutes as White made 3 of 4 free throw attempts as the Dukes held a commanding 17-3 lead at the media timeout.
The Highlanders went 1 for 13 in the opening quarter as Khiana Johnson knocked down a mid-range pull-up jumper for the first Radford field goal at the 2:08 mark.
Radford’s defense held James Madison scoreless for the final 4:20 of the opening quarter, forcing four of the Dukes’ nine first half turnovers during the span. Radford turned the nine miscues into seven points.
Trailing by as many as 14 multiple times in the first quarter, Destinee Walker knocked down a 3-pointer at the 6:52 mark, inching Radford within 19-10. Nine points would be as close as the Highlanders would get in the contest.
While James Madison shot 48.3 percent from the field, its defense held the Highlanders to a 6 for 28 effort in the opening half as the Dukes went into the locker room with a 33-19 advantage.
The Dukes held a 25-11 rebound edge in the half, tallying eight second-chance points. The paint belonged to James Madison as the Dukes outscored Radford 24-6 in the half the Highlanders normally making a living inside. The Dukes finished the game with 34-18 edge in the paint.
White and Johnson paced the Highlanders at halftime with seven points apiece. The duo combined for five of Radford’s six field goals. Johnson tallied three of Radford’s six steals in the game in the opening 20 minutes.
In her final game in a Radford uniform, White finished with a team-high 11 points, marking the 57th time she had scored double-figures in her career with 15 on the season. White just missed her 33rd career double-double, finishing with seven boards.
James Madison outscored Radford 18-9 in the third quarter, turning six Radford turnovers into seven points. Lexie Barrier totaled nine of her game-high 19 points in the quarter.
Heading into the final frame with a 51-28 lead, the Dukes’ defense limited the Highlanders single-digit points once again as James Madison moved on to the third round with a 62-35 Commonwealth Clash victory.
In the quarter, James Madison held Radford scoreless for the final 3:41, while the Highlanders returned the favor for the final 3:05 of the game.
Radford falls to 3-5 in WNIT action, dropping three games to James Madison in the tournament.
James Madison outrebounded Radford 49-26, turning 16 offensive boards into 19 points. Despite committing 20 turnovers, James Madison turned 17 Radford miscues into 16 points. The Highlanders were only able to score seven points off the Dukes’ turnovers.
The Highlanders finished the season with 16 wins in their last 19 games.
Finishing with four points on 2 of 8 shooting, Jayda Worthy became the fifth player in program history with 500 made field goals. The 501 made field goals rank fifth in program history. Worthy also appeared in her 123rd career game, setting a new program record for games played. She finished her career with 1,263 points, ranking sixth in program history. Worthy also finished with 771 career rebounds, ranking seventh all-time.
Janayla White appeared in 118 career games, which is tied for eighth in program history. The forward finished with 1,121 career points, ranking 19th in Radford history.
With 980 career rebounds, White finishes her time as the third best rebounder in program history and the eighth in Big South history. White’s 209 blocks rank second in Radford history and tied for ninth in league history. Making 337 career free throws, White is tied for fourth all-time in program history.
Claudia Quevedo finishes her career with 117 made 3-pointers, which ranks seventh in program history. Quevedo’s .345 career three-point field goal percentage is tied for sixth all-time. She finished the season with a .401 clip beyond the arc, which is third in program history as the 55 made attempts is tied for seventh.
“I don’t want this loss to take away from the season we had. This group grew into an excellent team especially in February. They accomplished a tremendous amount for the program and the past two years is the best two-year stretch in program history in terms of wins. I’m proud as heck of this group for who they are and what they mean to our program. Tonight, will not define but only help us continue to move the program forward,” Radford head coach Mike McGuire said.
–RU Athletics