The Radford University women’s basketball team is preparing for its final regular season game against Gardner-Webb, scheduled for Saturday afternoon at Paul Porter Arena in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.
Radford enters the matchup with an 11-4 record in Big South Conference play, sitting alone in second place. The Highlanders recently defeated Presbyterian 95-54, shooting 60 percent from the field and maintaining a double-digit lead throughout most of the game. Georgia Simonsen led all scorers with a career-high 24 points on 12-of-16 shooting. Angelina Nice contributed 19 points, while Joi Williams scored her 1,000th career point and finished with 18.
“Joi Williams became the 25th Highlander to score 1,000 career points in the win over Presbyterian. Needing 15, she got 1,000 at the free-throw line in the second quarter and added three more to finish with 1,003 career points,” according to team officials. Williams has made 72 three-pointers this season—the third-most in program history—and needs three more to move into second place for single-season threes.
Freshman Georgia Simonsen continues to make an impact during conference play. “She led all scorers with 24 points, missing just four of her 16 attempts, and scoring more points than minutes played,” said staff members about Simonsen’s recent performance. She currently leads the Big South in field goal percentage (.576) and blocks (19) among freshmen during conference games.
Team milestones include making a total of 211 three-pointers so far this season—second only to last year’s record of 232—with a new high of 699 attempts from beyond the arc.
Earlier this season on January 14th, Radford defeated Gardner-Webb by a score of 53-38 at home. In that game, Williams scored a team-high of 21 points including five three-pointers as both teams struggled offensively; neither shot above forty percent from the field.
Defensively, Radford has allowed just over fifty-seven points per game during conference matchups—second-best in the Big South—and holds opponents to a .369 field goal percentage while averaging over three blocks per contest.
After back-to-back games scoring over ninety points against Division I opponents—a feat not accomplished since March of the program’s championship-winning season in1996—the Highlanders look to maintain their momentum heading into postseason play.
Fans can follow live coverage through WRAD AM1460 radio or ESPN+, as well as updates via social media platforms and RadfordAthletics.com.
