FAIRLAWN, Va. (Interstat) — In a game defined by explosive runs and a relentless transition attack, the Radford Highlanders outlasted the Charleston Southern Buccaneers 90-80 in a Big South Conference men’s basketball matchup Saturday at the D.N. Dedmon Center.

A crowd of 1,363 saw the Highlanders (14-13, 4-8 Big South) avenge a loss from earlier in the season and sweep the regular-season series, having also defeated the Buccaneers 84-75 on Jan. 29. The victory moved Radford above .500 overall, while Charleston Southern fell to 12-15, 5-7.

The most critical phase of the contest was a decisive first-half surge by the home team. After a competitive opening few minutes, Radford unleashed a 20-4 run over a five-minute span to seize control. The burst was fueled by defensive pressure and blistering fastbreak efficiency, hallmarks of the Highlanders’ performance all night. Radford finished with a commanding 26-9 advantage in fastbreak points and a 24-20 edge in points off turnovers, capitalizing on 15 Charleston Southern giveaways in the opening period.

Radford’s Dennis Parker, a 6-foot-6 sophomore from Richmond, Virginia, was instrumental during the run and throughout, posting a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds in just 24 minutes, adding two assists and two blocks. His activity inside helped Radford dominate points in the paint, 46-32.

Charleston Southern, which shot 50 percent from the field in the second half to keep pace, could never fully recover from the first-half deficit. The Buccaneers trailed 50-30 at intermission despite a team-high 16 points and five assists from A’lahn Sumler. Nate Brafford and Jacob Taylor each added 14 points for the visitors.

Every time Charleston Southern threatened to cut the lead to single digits in the second half, Radford had an answer, often in transition. Jaylon Johnson, a 6-foot guard from Houston, led all scorers with 17 points and dished out four assists. Del Jones added 14 points, five rebounds and five assists, consistently breaking down the Buccaneers’ defense.

The Highlanders’ balance was evident as Mari Jordan and Trent Coleman of Charleston Southern each contributed 12 points off the bench. Radford’s Lukas Walls chipped in seven points, four rebounds and two assists, while Tyson Brown controlled the glass with nine rebounds.

Charleston Southern, coming off an 84-67 home win over Presbyterian on Thursday, showed resilience after the break, outscoring Radford 50-40 in the second half. The Buccaneers connected on 10 three-pointers, with Brafford hitting four, but could not consistently string together stops to complete the comeback.

Radford, which entered the game as a 4.5-point favorite according to sportsbooks, outperformed the statistical projection from Interstat’s ELO system, which gave them an 82.7 percent probability to win. The combined score of 170 points surpassed the over/under line of 161.

The game was a showcase of Radford’s athleticism and ability to convert defense into instant offense, a formula that built an insurmountable early lead. Charleston Southern’s second-half offensive push made the final score more respectable but never truly put the outcome in doubt after the Highlanders’ first-half explosion.

Charleston Southern will look to rebound when it hosts Gardner-Webb on Tuesday. Radford continues its homestand, welcoming Gardner-Webb on Thursday.