The Radford Highlanders women’s basketball team secured a decisive 81-58 victory over Longwood in the semifinals of the Big South Tournament on Saturday night in Johnson City, Tennessee. A large contingent of Radford fans traveled to support the team, contributing to what players and coaches described as a strong home-court atmosphere.
Radford’s offense has been performing at a high level during the tournament, scoring more than 80 points in consecutive games for the first time since 1996. Freshman Georgia Simonsen continued her impressive run, scoring at least 20 points for the fourth straight game and becoming the first Radford freshman since at least 2007-08 to achieve this feat.
The Highlanders dominated inside, outscoring Longwood 48-32 in points in the paint and holding a 14-6 advantage in second-chance points. The margin of victory was the largest for Head Coach Mike McGuire during his tenure at Radford, surpassing a previous high set just one day earlier against Charleston Southern.
Longwood started strong defensively but could not maintain momentum as Radford gradually took control. After an even first quarter, Radford’s defense limited Longwood to just two baskets and 13.3 percent shooting from the floor in the second period. The Highlanders pulled away with a commanding third quarter, making 11 of their 15 shots and extending their lead beyond reach.
Coach Mike McGuire praised both teams after the win: “First, I just want to say, I have a lot of respect for Longwood,” McGuire said following the game. “And how they compete. They had an outstanding conference season. The games with them were intense as we saw tonight. Very competitive. So, really respect what they do and how they make our league a lot better and made us better. Very proud of our team. I thought our team came to play tonight. We wanted this game badly. And I think that showed with the effort they put forth. It’s a great win, we’re excited to be back in the championship game.”
With this win, Radford advances to face top-seeded High Point in Sunday’s championship game at Freedom Hall Civic Center at 6:00 p.m., where they will try for their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.
Fans can watch nationally on ESPN2 or listen locally on WRAD Radford Sports Radio Network.
