Lydia Rivers scored 21 points in Radford University’s 38-point win over Presbyterian
Radford University’s women’s basketball team made Big South history Saturday afternoon as the Highlanders shot a scorching 72.2 percent from the field in a 93-55 victory over Presbyterian, setting the conference record for highest field goal percentage in a game and a conference game as five Highlanders finished in double-digits in record breaking performance.
The previous conference record of 71.9 percent belonged to former league member UNC Greensboro as the Spartans finished 41 for 57 from the field on Feb. 11, 1994 against UNC Asheville.
Having already matched a program record set in the 1980s earlier in the season, Radford crushed another record as the 2017-18 squad broke a 35-year old mark in field goal percentage that served as the women’s Dedmon Center and program record.
Radford’s previous best came against Pembroke State on Dec. 3, 1983 with a shooting clip of 65.3 percent. The mark ranks as the 13th best percentage in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history.
Returning home for the first time in 11 days, Radford made 39 of 54 attempts for the record of 72.2 percent as the Highlanders shot over 70-percent in three of the four quarters. Radford was five made field goals away from matching the program and conference record.
Lydia Rivers led the five players in double-figures with a career-high 21 points on nine of 11 shooting, just missing a double-double with nine rebounds. The 20-point performance is the first of her career and the third by a Highlander this season.
Following Rivers, Khiana Johnson turned in 18 points on seven of nine shooting to match a career best in points.
Radford’s 93 points was started off with a 27-point showing in the opening quarter in which the Highlanders went 11 for 15, assisting on nine baskets for an early 27-12 lead. The Highlanders continued the torrid start with a 20-0 start to the second quarter, while holding the Blue Hose to a mere four points.
Leading 49-16 at halftime, Radford smashed its season best first half point total by 11 as Jayda Worthy poured in 10 of her 12 points as the senior dished out five of her career-high eight assists. The Highlanders assisted on 15 of 20 made field goals in the opening half.
Presbyterian came out of the locker room with a charge, outscoring Radford 24-15 in the quarter as five of the Blue Hose eight field goals came from beyond the arc.
The Highlanders buckled down with a 29-point outburst in the fourth quarter, the most points in a quarter on the season. Radford made 12 of 16 attempts as Destinee Walker added 11 of 16 points on five of seven shooting in the second half with nine points coming in the fourth quarter.
Johnson tallied eight of her 18 points in the second half, while Janayla White added seven of her 11 points in the half, falling a rebound shy of her second straight double-double.
Radford assisted on 20-plus assists for the fifth time on the season, finishing with a season-high 23 as four Highlanders dished out three-plus assists.
Radford improves to 20-4 over the last 49 games when holding opponents below 60 points scored. The 30-point win is the second on the season for the Highlanders.
The last time Radford scored 90 points came on Dec. 12, 2015 in a 92-36 decision over Concord.
Radford last scored 90 points versus a NCAA Division I opponent on Feb. 16, 2008 in a 91-59 win against Charleston Southern.
The Highlanders have shot over 50 percent twice on the season with the last coming on Dec. 10, 2017 with 53.7 percent against VCU.
Radford has placed five players in double-figures twice on the season, both coming in league play. Lydia Rivers’ career day came on a career-high nine field goals as her nine rebounds give her 149 on the season.
Jayda Worthy stuffed the stat sheet as she finished with 12 points, eight assists, six rebounds and four steals.
The eight assists push her over the 200-assist mark as she now has 203 in her career. Radford held a 40-17 edge on the glass, turning 10 offensive boards into 16 points.
Of Radford’s 93 points, 58 came in the paint as the Highlanders improve to 8-1 when controlling the paint. Radford finished with six made field goals as four came in the first quarter.
Of the 23 assists; Claudia Quevedo, Janayla White and Charnissa Chillers finished with three each. Quevedo has dished out three-plus assists 12 times on the season, while Chillers sets a new career mark.
White inches closer to 1,000 mark in points and rebounds. She is now 67 points and 142 rebounds away. Radford led for 38:29, leading by as many as 40 at point. The conference win was the 50th of head coach Mike McGuire’s career.
“It was great to see us play so well offensively. We’re usually a solid team against the zone defense and today was just a tremendous offensive performance by our team. We had such an incredible connection to start the game that helped us get good looks and our shots kept going down. We were really on point as a group and brought a focus that we’ve kind of been lacking in the last couple games. I think the girls really found the right mindset today and now they know where we need to be as we continue the grind of conference play,” said Radford head coach Mike McGuire.
–RU Athletics
