DaQuan Smith sinks go-ahead jumper with 1.5 left, Radford edges West Virginia

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — DaQuan Smith scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half, including a go-ahead jumper with 1.5 seconds left, and Radford edged West Virginia, 66-65, on Wednesday night for its fifth straight victory.

Radford (10-4) picked up its first win over a Power 5 opponent since topping Northwestern, 67-56, on Nov. 19, 2019. It was the Highlanders’ ninth victory over a Power 5 team — all on the road.

Noah Farrakhan went behind his back to get into the lane for a fade-away jumper to give West Virginia a 65-61 lead with 1:18 remaining, but the Mountaineers did not score again. Smith answered with a scoop shot in the lane and the West Virginia missed a shot in the paint.

Bryan Antoine dribbled down the clock before being fouled on a driving layup. Antoine, a 93% free-throw shooter, went 1 of 2 from the line to make it 65-64 with 11.5 seconds left. West Virginia guard RaeQuan Battle was fouled after grabbing the rebound and he missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 9.8 left.

Smith lost control of his dribble and rolled the ball on the ground before pulling up for a go-ahead jumper. Battle controlled a deflected pass but his contested shot at the buzzer was well short.

Justin Archer had 12 points and 11 rebounds and Kenyon Giles also scored 12 for Radford.

Battle finished with 29 points and Farrakhan added 16 for West Virginia (4-7). Quinn Slazinski, averaging 17.3 points, was held to four points. The Mountaineers were without leading rebounder Jesse Edwards, who is out for four weeks due to a fractured right wrist.

Battle debuted after sitting out the start of the season when the NCAA denied the two-time transfer’s initial waiver request. Farrakhan, who like Battle also is a two-time transfer, was playing in his second game after scoring 15 in a loss Saturday to UMass.

West Virginia will face Toledo on Saturday, followed by Ohio State in Cleveland on Dec. 30.