RADFORD, Va. - Senior Jesse Brunjak (Ooltewah, Tenn.) posted a double double and Radford used a strong defensive effort in the second half to defeat Winthrop, 60-44 from the Dedmon Center this evening. With the win, the Highlanders extended their home winning streak to eight games, the longest since the 1995-96 regular season.
RU trailed 26-24 at the break, but outscored the Lady Eagles 36-18 in the second stanza to pull out the victory. The win snapped a two-game skid for the Highlanders as they improved to 10-9 overall and 4-2 in the Big South. Winthrop dropped its ninth straight and falls to 2-17 overall and 0-6.
The Highlanders finished the game with four players in double figures. Brunjak posted 10 points and 10 rebounds, with freshman Kelli Darden (Chesapeake, Va.) adding 11 points, six rebounds and five blocks. Darden’s five blocks tied her fifth in a single season with 41. Senior Taryn Causey (Collierville, Tenn.) and sophomore Shavon Earp (Hampton, Va.) chipped in with 11 and 10 points respectively. Causey scored all her points in the second half and also had four assists and three steals.
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Jessica Dukes paced the Lady Eagles with 11 points, eight rebounds and four blocks, while Gene’t Moore also posted 11 points, all in the first half, with six rebounds. Moore finished 3-for-4 from three-point land and 4-of-5 from the field.
The first half saw nine lead changes and three ties with neither team gaining more than a four point lead throughout the period. The Lady Eagles used an early 9-2 spurt to take a 9-5 lead at 16:18.The lead would change hands eight more times as the teams struggled from the field the rest of the half. RU shot 36 percent and Winthrop shot 38 percent with both teams turning the ball over seven times.
Early in the second half, Earp broke a 30-30 tie on a fast break layup at 16:41 and the Highlanders never looked back. Up 35-31 at 11:07, Radford outscored the Lady Eagles, 19-9 over the next nine minutes to put the game away. Causey ignited the surge, going 6-for-6 from the line and scoring eight points.
Radford held the Lady Eagles to 28 percent shooting in the second half and were also helped out by the Lady Eagle only going 6-for-17 from the charity stripe. The Highlanders went 10-for-11 from the line the second half and shot 43 percent from the field.
Winthrop outrebounded the Highlanders, 41-37 led by Jolandra Crump’s 10. RU forced 18 turnovers, while only turning the ball over 11 times.
Radford hits the road on Wednesday, Feb. 9 when it faces High Point at 7 pm. Winthrop will host Liberty on Wednesday at 7 pm.
