FAIRLAWN, Va. (Interstat) — The Radford Highlanders used a dominant first quarter and a commanding performance in the paint to secure an 80-58 victory over the Niagara Purple Eagles in a non-conference women’s basketball game Saturday at the D.N. Dedmon Center.

Radford established control early, outscoring Niagara 25-19 in the opening period and never relinquishing the lead. The Highlanders extended their advantage by halftime, leading 40-30, and continued to pull away after the break, outscoring the Purple Eagles 23-14 in the third quarter to put the game out of reach. A strong defensive effort and efficient offense in the final frame sealed the 22-point win for the home team.

The Highlanders’ offense was fueled by its work close to the basket, outscoring Niagara 44-26 in the paint. Radford also capitalized on second-chance opportunities, grabbing 15 offensive rebounds compared to Niagara’s six. While both teams struggled from beyond the arc, shooting 4 of 16 and 4 of 22 respectively, Radford found consistent success at the free-throw line, making 24 of 32 attempts. Niagara shot 14 of 19 from the stripe.

Georgia Simonsen led the way for Radford with a double-double, scoring 15 points and pulling down 10 rebounds to go with three blocks. Anaiah Jenkins was a force inside, just missing a double-double with a game-high 17 points and nine rebounds. Joi Williams provided a significant spark with 14 points, five rebounds and two assists, while Ellie Taylor filled the stat sheet with nine points, four rebounds and four assists.

For Niagara, Talia Dial was the primary offensive threat, scoring 19 points in 35 minutes of action. Kenedie Haruna provided a burst off the bench with nine points in just nine minutes, and Katarina Veljovic added six points and five rebounds.

Defensively, both teams were active, with Radford recording 19 steals and Niagara collecting 14. The game was marked by turnovers, with Radford committing 24 and Niagara giving the ball away 22 times. Radford’s ability to convert those miscues into points was a key differentiator, as they scored 28 points off turnovers to Niagara’s 24.

The victory improves Radford’s season record to 4-3, while Niagara remains winless at 0-5. An announced crowd of 1,078 watched the game at the Dedmon Center.

Radford’s next contest is against Valparaiso on Wednesday in Cleveland, Ohio. Niagara will look for its first win when it returns home to host Fordham on Wednesday.