Never-Say-Dielanders Score Second Consecutive Thrilling Win

RADFORD, Va. - Freshman Chris Oliver scored the game-winning layup with six seconds remaining to give Radford men’s basketball a 71-70 Big South win over Charleston Southern on Monday at the Dedmon Center. Down as much as 10 points in the second half, the win was RU’s third straight and second straight game won in the final 10 seconds of play. (Box Score)

Trailing by one with 10 seconds remaining, RU sent Timon Farley to the free throw line, where he hit the front end of the one-and-one, but clanged the second try off the back of the rim. CSU’s Kurtis Rice fouled Aaron Gill during the scramble for the rebound. Gill sunk the first free throw and missed the second, but Oliver scooped up the rebound and immediately scored the game-winner. Ed O’Neil’s running jumper with two seconds remaining rimmed out, giving RU the win.

Olumuyiwa Popoola and Whit Holcomb-Faye each scored 14 points to lead the Highlanders. Holcomb-Faye also had five rebounds to pace RU. Gill finished with 12 points as did Goodin. Radford (9-9, 5-3 Big South) hit 50 percent of its shots from the field and had its best night from the line, shooting 81.5 percent. The Highs struggled from beyond the arc however, hitting just 25 percent of their tries.

Rice led all scorers with a career-high 25 points. He was joined in double figures by O’Neil who had 19 points, seven assists and eight rebounds. Terrell Brown tallied 12 points on the night. The Bucs shot 47.3 percent, including hitting 47.8 percent of their three-pointers. CSU had 11 treys in the game.

Charleston Southern (3-15, 0-7 Big South) had a five point lead with 34 seconds left after O’Neil sunk two free throws. Popoola hit two free throws to bring the Highlanders back within three with 21 seconds remaining. RU immediately fouled O’Neil, who hit one of the two free throws, but a made three-pointer by Chris Goodin with 11 seconds remaining cut the lead to one. It was the second straight game in which Goodin hit a late three-pointer to keep a rally alive. He also hit a trey Saturday in RU’s win over Coastal Carolina to cap a Radford comeback and send the game to overtime.

The Buccaneers used a 17-2 run late in the first half to overcome a Radford advantage and pull ahead by eight. After swapping baskets in the final minutes of the first half, CSU held a 39-32 halftime lead. It would retain that lead throughout the second half until Oliver’s game-winning layup.

The Highlanders will be at UNC Asheville Saturday for a 4:30 pm tip-off. Charleston Southern heads to VMI Wednesday to face the Keydets at 7:00 pm.