Women's Hoops Defeat Southern Virginia; Walker Reaches 1,000 Points

Radford scored 40 points of off 27 turnovers to win its first game of the season, a 78-58 triumph over Southern Virginia in its home opener, Friday evening from Peters Hall. The game marked two milestones; senior Johnette Walker (Columbia, S.C./Irmo) reached the 1,000-point milestone while scoring a game-high 20 points and head coach Tajama Ngongba recorded her first victory as Radford’s head coach.

Walker, needing 16 points entering the contest, connected on two second half free throws at the 15:02 mark to become the 18th Highlander to reach the 1,000-point club. She shot 6-of-14 from the field and a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe, finishing with 1,004 career points. She also recorded a game-high nine rebounds and eight steals, a new career best.

Tricia Dixon paced the Knights with 17 points. Amanda Prestwich chipped in with 12 points and pulled down five rebounds.

Southern Virginia (6-3) hit five straight shots, including a pair of three-pointers, to take a 17-10 lead, 9:46 into the contest. The Knights maintained their lead and pushed it eight points on two occasions. After Jenne Comp’s put back at 8:23 put SVU up 24-16, the Highlanders (1-6) finally found their rhythm.

A 16-2 run, that was highlighted by eight points off turnovers, gave Radford a 32-26 lead with 5:10 remaining in the half. During the game-changing run, sophomore Taleia Moton (Fort Washington, Md./Suitland) scored seven of her 11 first half points.

The Knights managed to cut the Highlanders’ lead to 34-32 on a pair of Comp freebees with 3:51 on the clock, but Walker and sophomore Kaylyn Crosier (South Charleston, W.Va./South Charleston) each scored four points in the final 3:37 to push Radford to a 42-34 halftime lead.

Crosier got it done on the glass, pulling down five rebounds in the final six minutes of the half. Sophomore Ciara Hayes (Upper Marlboro, Md./Riverdale Baptist) led all players at the half with six caroms.

Southern Virginia cooled off after its hot start and shot 44 percent from the field in the first half, while Radford rebounded from a slow start to shoot 39.5 percent. Both teams shot well from the charity stripe with the Knights at 90 percent and the Highlanders at 85 percent.

Holding a nine-point lead (47-38) three minutes into the second half, Radford put the game away with a 15-0 run to take a 62-38 lead with 11:33 left in the game. Walker had six points during the run, including her milestone free throws. That would be the largest advantage the Highlanders would have for the game.

Moton finished the game with 15 points. Sophomore Kendra Porter (Jamestown, N.C./Dudley) and Hayes also chipped in with 11 and 10 points respectively. Hayes also registered a career-high three blocks and three steals with seven rebounds. Crosier finished the night with a career-best seven rebounds to go along with four points and an assist.

The Highlanders shot 41 percent from field and 72 percent from the line for the game, while outrebounding the Knights 41-33. Radford also recorded a season high 18 steals. SVU shot 39 percent for the night and 82 percent from the charity stripe.

Moton and Strong Second Half Lead Women’s Basketball to 61-45 Exhibition Win

Taleia Moton (Fort Washington, Md./Suitland H.S.) poured in a game-high 18 points and Radford used a 27-5 second-half run to defeat the University of D.C. 61-45 in women’s basketball action Saturday afternoon at Peters Hall.

A sophomore guard and product of Suitland High School, Moton knocked down 10-of-12 from the charity stripe, handed out five assists and recorded four steals. Johnette Walker (Columbia, S.C./Irmo H.S.), a preseason all-conference selection, also hit the 10-point plateau for the Highlanders with 15 points.

Despite finishing with a shooting percentage of 35.6 percent (16-45), the Highlanders shot 61.6 percent in the final period. Radford forced 36 Firebird miscues, turning them into 28 points. The Highlanders went to the line 45 times, connecting on 28 of them for a .622 clip.

After trading buckets to find themselves tied 9-9, the Firebirds went on a 10-3 run capped by a Shahara Johnson jumper to grab a 19-12 advantage with just under six minutes to go in the opening period. Radford responded with a lengthy streak of its own and tied the score 21-21 on a Moton layup. A pair of Moton free throws with just 19 ticks remaining gave the Highlanders their first lead since the 11:59 mark, but a Johnson putback at the buzzer evened things at the break, 23-23.

Moton and Walker combined to score 20 of the Highlanders’ 23 points in the first stanza with 10 each.

Radford opened the second half with consecutive three-point plays from Kymesha Alston (Hampton, Va./Manhattan College) and never looked back, stretching its lead to as many as 23 (58-35) on a Kaylyn Crosier (South Charleston, W.Va./South Charleston H.S.) free throw with 3:11 left to play.

Johnson led two University of D.C. players in double figures with 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting, while Lillian McGill finished with a double-double scoring 11 points and pulling down 11 boards.

Like Radford, the Firebirds shot just over 35-percent (20-57) from the field. Thanks to 21 offensive rebounds, the University of D.C. finished with a 51-29 advantage on the glass.

Q&A with Ngongba and Pullen

Coming off back-to-back Big South Championship game appearances and a WNIT berth last season, the Radford women's basketball team has started its preparation for the 2008-09 season, the first with new head coach Taj Ngongba at the helm. RadfordAthletics.com has an inside peek at the progress the Highlanders are making early on, and a look at what's motivating this year's squad.Athletic Communications student John Lloyd sat down with senior captain Vandy Pullen (Arlington, Va.) and Ngongba to discuss Radford women’s hoops.

Vandy Pullen

How have the first few weeks of practice gone?

Intense. There’s a lot of walk through time, the coaches are making sure we understand everything. There’s a strong priority on energy and focus- making sure we come to practice focused and stay focused the whole time we’re there.

What’s the biggest adjustment with the new coaching staff?

Learning the new plays and the new offensive and defensive schemes.

What are the coaches emphasizing as keys to success this season?

Intensity and energy. There’s a big stress on defense and rebounding. Pressure defense is going to be one of our big strengths this year.

What is special about this year’s team?

We are internally motivated to work hard- we’re like a family both on and off the court. We stick together through tough workouts and push each other to get better. The coaches have had us getting involved in community service in the offseason which has also helped us grow as a team.

What are the team’s goals for this season?

To win a championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament. Being ranked fourth in preseason in the conference is a big motivation for us. We know we’re a very good team and we’ll just have to work that much harder to prove it.

What are your personal goals?

To be a strong leader both on and off the court and to earn first team all-conference honors.

Tajama Ngongba

How have the first few weeks of practice gone?

So far it has gone great- at the beginning of the season you expect a certain amount of turnovers and mistakes. With a new staff and routine everyone is still feeling things out, but it improves every day.

What changes have you brought to the program?

Tempo on the court- we are stressing a push-pull theme, we want to continue to push to create a shot and if there’s nothing pull it back out and try again. We want to be sure we maximize every possession for forty minutes. There’s a very high level of intensity in practice this year to prepare for the tempo we want during games.

What is the attitude like during practices so far?

It’s a roller coaster. There are great days and not as great days, but the team is starting to understand the vision of the program and realize the potential we have with the structure that is being implemented.

What are the keys for success this year?

We have to outwork people. Getting rebounds, loose balls, taking charges, those are the little things that you have to be willing to do. We are really stressing rebounding. We want to be able to take quick shots and get a lot of second chances. It’s also really important that the players be coachable. We need them to always come in with a great attitude and willing to learn- that’s especially important with new coaches. We are also going to need a lot of leadership from our seniors, especially our co-captains Johnette and Vandy. I lean on them a lot to help me get a better understanding of this team and program.

What is special about this year’s team?

What is really special is that this group’s potential is untapped. We’re starting to scratch the surface and we see new and exciting things everyday. This team will leave it all out there for each other- you can tell by the way they pull together when it’s important. They fight through times when they could just consider it a defeat, like tough conditioning or practices.

What are your goals this season for the players on an individual basis and for the team?

We definitely have at least three or four players who can compete for conference accolades and maybe even a player of the year. Our freshman (Kahealani Vick) is very talented and has unlimited possibilities, all-rookie team is an achievable goal for her. For the team, it’s hard to say up front. We are definitely showing signs that we will compete in the Big South, and there are flashes where the coaches are like, ‘oh man, if we play like that we will win it’. Of course we expect to win the Big South. Everyone in the program wants the same thing, all the coaches and players and everyone involved. Off the court, we want to be a family as a program. We are stressing a lot of community service which teaches the players a lot. They get a chance to be a part of seeing the world outside themselves.

What are the biggest transitions from being an assistant to a first year head coach?

Establishment is a big thing. You have a new staff that you have to get to buy-in to and believe in what you’re trying to do. There’s an important period where everyone is just feeling each other out and establishing a common philosophy. Coming into a new program is obviously tough, especially with a predecessor who is an amazing person and an amazing coach, who has a strong history with the conference. Those are big shoes to fill.

Women's Hoops Gets Involved in the Community

Radford University’s women’s basketball team has been very prominent in the local community since arriving on campus in September. First-year head coach, Tajama Ngongba, and her staff have made it an emphasis to get involved in several community service projects throughout the year.

“As a program heading in a new direction, one of our focuses is community involvement. We are making every effort to be visible and helpful in the community,” stated Ngongba. “Our team has spent the last month doing various community service projects.”

This past Saturday, Oct. 25, the team headed over to Riner, Va. and Auburn Elementary School to participate in its fall festival.

On Wednesday, Oct. 22, senior Rachel Morris (Stanley, Va.) and junior Charron Leeper (Cleveland Heights, Ohio) went to Radford’s McHarg Elementary School as part of the Read to a Child Week.

During the Highlander festival on Saturday, the team was involved in the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk with the fundraising for life-saving heart research and community programs. In the morning several children received face paintings from team members.

The Highlanders also made a trip to Grove Methodist Church and participated in Project Linus. The team made blankets for children in the New River Valley who are sick, traumatized or abused.

“As a new head coach, it is a blessing to be part of a team that is so caring and giving. My staff and I are very proud of our team's commitment to the community thus far and we will continue these efforts through out the year,” commented Ngongba.

Walker Preseason All-Big South; Women's Hoops Tabbed Fourth

Senior guard Johnette Walker (Columbia, S.C./Irmo) was named to the Big South’s preseason All-Conference team and the Radford’s women’s basketball team was tabbed fourth in the annual preseason poll, as voted by the league’s head coaches and media panel. The Highlanders, under first year head coach Tajama Ngongba, received one first place vote and a total of 129 points.

Walker, who started every game last year, led Radford in assists and steals, while averaging 11.2 points and 4.7 rebounds. She became only the second Highlander to accumulate 400 assists and 250 steals in her career and enters her senior campaign just 68 points shy of 1,000.

In 2007-08, Radford reeled off 23 wins, second most in school history, and reached the Big South Championship game for the second straight season. The Highlanders return three starters from last season’s squad, including all-freshman honoree Taleia Moton (Fort Washington, Md./Suitland) and Walker, the second and third leading scorers on the team.

Defending champion Liberty was named the preseason favorite, receiving 17 of 19 first place votes and 169 points. Big South semifinalists Winthrop (one first place vote) and High Point were selected second and third with 143 and 129 points, respectively. After Radford, UNC Asheville (75) was voted fifth and Big South newcomer Gardner-Webb and Coastal Carolina tied for sixth with 73 points. Charleston Southern (55) and the conference’s other newcomer, Presbyterian (22) round out the poll in eighth and ninth.

After a home exhibition game on Nov. 8, Radford begins a challenging stretch of six straight road games to start the season. The Highlanders open on Nov. 15 at WNIT quarterfinalist James Madison, a rematch of last season’s WNIT first round game in Harrisonburg. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

2008-09 Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team

Johnette Walker, Radford
Ashley Fann, Winthrop
Moriah Frazee, Liberty
Pamela Tolbert, Charleston Southern
Megan Frazee, Liberty Preseason Player of the Year