The Radford women’s basketball team secured a 65-59 win over Gardner-Webb on Saturday at Paul Porter Arena, marking their first 20-win season since 2018-19. The victory also guarantees the Highlanders the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Air Force Reserve Big South Tournament.
Georgia Simonsen led Radford with 20 points and nine rebounds, playing a key role in the paint. Angelina Nice contributed 15 points and six rebounds, hitting a career-high four three-pointers during the first half. The Highlanders were effective from beyond the arc early in the game, making six of eleven attempts in the first half.
Radford finished strong at the free throw line, converting all five of their final attempts in the last three minutes to help secure the win. The team ends its regular season with seven road victories, which is their highest total since 2019-20.
Gardner-Webb started aggressively and held an early lead after an 8-0 run. However, Radford narrowed the gap by relying on timely shooting from Nice and others. Both teams traded leads throughout a closely contested match that saw several momentum shifts.
In the closing minutes, Gardner-Webb briefly took a one-point lead following a four-point play by Jaelyn Acker. Radford responded as Williams was fouled on a three-point attempt and made all her free throws to reclaim the advantage. Simonsen added two more free throws with less than thirty seconds left to extend Radford’s lead to four points. Williams then sealed the game by making two additional free throws after being fouled with just two seconds remaining.
Head Coach Mike McGuire commented after the game: “Today was a tough game and we knew it would be,” he said. “Gardner-Webb is disciplined and plays to their strengths well. I’m happy for our team to finish the week 2-0. This team has developed into one of the top teams in this program’s strong history. This team has amazing qualities and they have been a blessing to coach.”
Radford will now prepare for postseason play as they travel to Johnson City, Tennessee for their conference tournament as the No. 2 seed.
For updates on future games and schedules, fans can follow @Radford_WBB on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, or find information on Facebook through Radford Women’s Basketball.
