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Parakhouski lifts Radford over Charleston Southern 64-61
Associated Press,
03-04-2010
RADFORD – Art Parakhouski scored 23 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and made the game-clinching free throw with five seconds left to lift Radford to a 64-61 overtime win over Charleston Southern in the quarterfinals of the Big South tournament on Tuesday night at the Dedmon Center.
Charleston Southern forced overtime for the second straight meeting between the two teams, outscoring Radford 10-2 in the final 5:10 of regulation.
Radford scored the first six points in the first four overtime minutes before the Buccaneers (13-17) hit two straight baskets to force back-and-forth play the rest of the way. Jamarco Warren’s jumper with 30 seconds left made it a 63-61 game, but on Charleston Southern’s next possession Jeremy Sexton’s layup was short to set up Parakhouski’s free throw, sealing the win for Radford.
The Highlanders (19-11) went 4-for-5 from the field in overtime, but were just 1-for-5 at the free throw line.
The second-seeded Highlanders move on to face third-seeded Winthrop on Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Big South semifinals in Conway, S.C. Both semifinal games will be televised nationally by ESPNU.
Parakhouski didn’t miss his first shot until the 5:19 mark of the second half, making nine of 11 field goal tries while going 6-for-9 at the free throw line on the way to his nation-leading 24th double-double of the season.
Joey Lynch-Flohr had his sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Laz Trifunovic finished with 14 points for Radford. The Highlanders shot 46.4 percent and assisted on 20 of 26 made field goals, but went only 10-for-17 at the free throw line.
Sexton had 18 points for Charleston Southern, leading four Buccaneers in double figures. Kelvin Martin had 15 points and Kenny Mitchell and Warrren scored 10 each. Charleston Southern shot 36.7 percent from the floor and made 10 of 13 free throws.
Lynch-Flohr made four of his first six shots and a pair of free throws, staking Radford to a 16-10 lead in the first ten minutes of the game. Later in the half, Amir Johnson pushed the lead to 28-18 on his 3-pointer with 2:57 left, and Parakhouski followed it up with a pair of baskets to cap a 7-0 run for the Highlanders that gave them a 14-point advantage.
Johnson gave the Highlanders to a 16-point halftime lead, 36-20, on his steal and score with two seconds left.
Radford held Charleston Southern to 30 percent shooting (7-for-23) in the first half, while the Highlanders connected on 56.5 percent (13-for-23) of their shots. Each of the Buccaneers’ seven made field goals in the opening 20 minutes came in the paint.
Down 38-24 with 17:12 left in the second half, the Buccaneers got the lead under 10 points with a 13-5 run, capped by Martin’s bucket at the 13:40 mark to pull Charleston Southern within seven, at 42-35.
After the Buccaneers narrowed the deficit to six on Warren’s jumper, Parakhouski hit a jumper from just inside the arc and Trifunovic made a layup to put the Highlanders back out in front by 10, 53-43, with 7:56 left. Johnson’s assist on the play was the 600th of his career.
Charleston Southern scored the next six points and Warren completed a three-point play with 2:50 left to cut the lead to 53-50. Sexton knocked home a 3-pointer, Charleston Southern’s first of the game, with 2:16 left to draw the Buccaneers within two, then Warren found Martin underneath to score with 26 seconds left and tie the game at 55-55.
NOTES: Parakhouski moved into 10th place on the Big South’s all-time rebounding chart … Parakhouski extended his double figure streak to 32 straight games … Parakhouski went over the 20-point plateau for the 20th time this season and 27th time in his career … Lynch-Flohr moved into 10th on Radford’s all-time scoring chart … Radford’s frontcourt trio of Parakhouski, Lynch-Flohr and Trifunovic have hit double figures in the same contest 13 times in 2009-10 … Radford improved to 22-22 in Big South Tournament play, including 14-8 in the quarterfinals … Radford has won six straight overtime contests, while improving to 9-2 under Greenberg … Radford improved 9-1 in games where at least two players have recorded double-doubles.
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