Causey, Darden Earn Weekly Conference Awards

Radford, Va. . -Radford senior Taryn Causey (Collierville, Tenn.) and freshman Kelli Darden (Chesapeake, Va.) earned the Big South’s women’s basketball weekly honors, announced the League office today. Causey, honored for the second straight week, was named Choice Hotels Co-Player of the Week, sharing the award with Liberty’s Katie Feenstra. Darden was tabbed New Balance Freshman of the Week, the third Highlander freshman to earn the distinction this season.

Causey led Radford to a pair of Conference victories over Coastal Carolina and Birmingham-Southern last week, averaging 17.0 points, 5.5 steals, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per contest. She shot .500 percent from both the field and three-point line and was 13-for-15 from the line. Against Coastal Carolina, Causey netted a game-high 19 points, to go along with seven rebounds, five steals and three assists, while going 9-for-11 from the charity stripe. She continued with a game-high 15 points, six assists and six steals against Birmingham-Southern.

Darden was instrumental in helping the Highs continue their winning ways this week. She blocked a career and game-high seven shots, to go along with seven points and an assist, against Coastal Carolina. Darden followed with a career-high 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting, four rebounds, three blocks and two assists vs. Birmingham-Southern. For the week, she posted 9.5 points, 5.0 blocks, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists, while shooting 69.2 percent from the field (9-of-13).

The Highlanders (9-7, 3-0 Big South) take their eight-game winning streak on the road Wednesday, Jan. 26 to face the UNC Asheville Bulldogs (9-6, 2-1 Big South) at 7 pm.