RADFORD — William & Mary started the second half strong and led by as many as seven points, but Radford closed with a big run over the final 10 minutes to pull out an 89-77 victory on Friday night in the Dedmon Center.
Senior Noah Collier and junior Chase Lowe led the Tribe (1-1) with 15 points apiece and both did most of their damage at the free throw line. Lowe was 9-of-11 at the charity stripe, while Collier was a career-best 9-of-10 to go with a team-high seven rebounds.
Senior Caleb Dorsey added 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, and junior Kyle Pulliam rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 points to go with five rebounds.
Trailing 42-39 at the break, the Tribe used an early 12-2 to open up a seven-point cushion just over five minutes into the second half. W&M scored eight straight, beginning with a Collier baseline dunk. His offensive rebound on the next Tribe possession led to a Keller Boothby corner 3-pointer, before a Lowe 3-point play gave the Green and Gold a 49-44 lead just over 2:30 into the final frame.
After a Chace Davis bucket for Radford (1-1), Lowe scored on a learner in the lane, and the Tribe used its defense to spark the offense. A Pulliam steal led to a transition lay-up from Matteus Case to extend the margin to 53-46 with 14:45 to play.
The Tribe advantage was five, 65-60, following a pair of Malachi Ndur free throws at the 9:26 mark, before the Highlanders went on their game-changing run. In total, the home team used a 17-3 run to pull away.
Brandon Maclin knocked down a wing 3-pointer and was fouled with 7:20 remaining to put the Highlanders in front for good. He completed the 4-point play, before Ibu Yamazaki connected on a corner 3-pointer. A deep Tony Felder triple capped the run to give Radford a 75-67 lead with five minutes left.
A Caleb Dorsey lay-up less than a minute later cut the margin to 77-70, but the Highlanders used a 10-2 run to punctuate the victory.
Jarvis Moss led all scorers with 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range for Radford. Yamazaki was a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor, including 4-of-4 from 3, to score 17 points off the bench, and Maclin added 14 points and eight rebounds for the home team.
The Tribe finished the contest shooting 34.5% (20-of-58) from the floor, including 9-of-30 from 3. W&M shot 82.4% at the free throw line, connecting on 28-of-34. The 28 free throws were the most for the Tribe since it had 31 against Elon in 2020.
The Highlanders finished the night at 50% shooting (27-of-54), including 11-of-29 from 3. Radford held a 41-34 advantage on the glass and was 24-of-34 from the free throw line (70.6%).
The Tribe used a 9-2 run on three-straight 3-pointers to take the lead eight minutes into the game. Pulliam, Boothby, and Caleb Dorsey hit treys during the run to give W&M a 18-15 and force a Radford timeout.
Another Dorsey 3-pointer followed by a pair of Lowe free throws extended the Tribe margin to its largest of the first half at 33-27 at the 5:29 mark. The Highlanders scored seven of the half’s final nine points to take a 42-39 lead into the locker room.
Fans are encouraged to bring brand new teddy bears or plush toys to toss at halftime for a chance to win Tribe Athletics experiences, gift cards to local businesses, or other items. The collected toys will be donated to the Children’s Hospital of Richmond for the holiday season. The Spirit Shop & Bookstore, operated by Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, will have bears for sale on the concourse at the game.
The game will also be streamed on FloCollege and broadcast regionally on MASN with Jay Colley and Bobby Dwyer on the call. Tribe fans can catch the action on the Tribe Sports Network with Andrew Phillips on the call. Locally in Williamsburg, fans can listen in on The Tide 92.3 FM.
