Radford University’s men’s basketball team set a new program record for three-pointers in a single season, defeating USC Upstate 71-59 on Thursday night. The Highlanders made 10 three-point shots during the game, bringing their season total to 288 and surpassing the previous record of 285 set by the 2018-19 team.
Lukas Walls led Radford with 16 points, making all three of his attempts from beyond the arc. In the first half, Radford’s main scorers—Dennis Parker Jr., Del Jones, and Jaylon Johnson—combined for only four points but rebounded in the second half with a combined total of 24 points.
USC Upstate outperformed Radford on offensive rebounds, collecting 17 compared to Radford’s eight. However, Radford managed to lead in second-chance points with a margin of 13-10. The win also marked Radford’s twelfth home victory this season, matching their highest home win total since the 2014-15 season.
The game began slowly for both teams, with USC Upstate showing early strength on offensive boards. Walls helped spark Radford’s offense with an early and-one play and a three-pointer. Frederik Erichsen contributed six points in the first half, including one from long range. With eight minutes left before halftime, Radford trailed narrowly at 20-18 until Brennan Rigsby Jr.’s three-pointer put them ahead. Louie Jordan closed out the half by sinking a midcourt shot at the buzzer to keep Radford within one point at halftime.
In the second half, threes from Walls and Jones gave Radford momentum. A run featuring scores from Parker Jr., Rigsby Jr., and Erichsen pushed their lead to seven points midway through the period. After USC Upstate responded with two consecutive threes, Parker Jr.’s floater ended their run and Mari Jordan added another key three-pointer off an offensive rebound.
Down the stretch, Del Jones hit a step-back three while Walls scored again after falling to the floor. The Highlanders maintained control as they secured a critical conference victory.
Elsewhere in Big South action that night: High Point defeated Presbyterian 79-73; Charleston Southern handed Charleston Southern its first back-to-back conference losses; Gardner-Webb lost its lead late as UNC Asheville claimed a road win.
Radford will close out its regular season on Saturday against Longwood University in Farmville—a matchup that carries postseason seeding implications—with tipoff scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on ESPN+.
“We were able to pick up the big victory,” said Head Coach Zach Chu following his team’s performance.
