For video of UNCG coach Wendy Palmer's postgame comments, click here.

RADFORD, Va. – Sophomore Breonna Patterson scored a career-high 23 points and redshirt sophomore Natalie Headley added a career-high 13 but UNCG was not able to overcome a big first-half deficit in a 75-67 loss at Radford on Monday.

Da'Naria Erwin Spencer had a game- and season-high 27 points for Radford (4-0), just missing an unconventional double-double with nine assists. Ashley Buckhannon had 14 points.

After trailing by as many as 21 in the opening frame, UNCG (0-3) was a different team after halftime, switching to a four-guard lineup and slowly chipping away at the Highlanders' lead.

The Spartans eventually cut it to five points at 62-57 on Patterson's three-point play with 2:27 left, but Erwin Spencer answered with a layup on the other end to put Radford back up by seven.

After a pair of Janae' Stevenson free throws again pulled UNCG within five, Buckhannon hit a back-breaking 3-pointer from the wing to make it an eight-point spread with less than a minute to play.

Radford would go on to salt it away at the free throw line.

Early in the second frame, freshman April Carson provided an immediate boost off the bench, hitting a 3-pointer just after checking in to make it 47-33. Carson then stole the ensuing in-bounds play and hit another 3 from the same spot, pulling UNCG to within 11 points with 15:38 left.

A jumper and a three-point play from Headley on consecutive possessions pulled the Spartans within seven with just under nine minutes to play before Patterson took over late, scoring seven of UNCG's nine points in a five-minute stretch.

Patterson finished with 15 points in the second half to more than double her previous career high of 11 points. She also doubled her previous career high in rebounds with six on the night.

"Breonna provided a huge spark that we needed tonight in the second half," UNCG coach Wendy Palmer said. "She came in and did some of the things that I asked her to do. It was what the team needed and she stepped up."

Headley also more than doubled her previous career high of six points, playing the entire 40 minutes.

The first half was all Highlanders as Radford shot an even 50 percent from the floor and raced out to a 39-23 halftime lead. Radford jumped out to an 8-0 lead and held UNCG without a point until the 15:32 mark, when a Headley free throw got UNCG on the board.

A layup from Buckhannon, a steal by Erwin Spencer and a jumper by Victoria Hamilton gave the Highlanders their biggest lead of the game at 37-16 with 2:29 to go in the first half.

UNCG concludes its three-game road swing when it takes on North Carolina Central in Durham, N.C., on Saturday at 2 p.m.

AGATE
RADFORD 75, UNCG 67

UNCG (0-3)
Breonna Patterson 9-15 5-5 23; Natalie Headley 4-9 5-7 13; Sidnei Harmon 3-6 2-4 8; Jarae Savage 3-7 1-2 7; April Carson 2-4 0-0 6; Janae' Stevenson 1-4 3-6 5; Sarah Folwell 1-2 0-0 3; Dayshaun Richbow 1-6 0-0 2; Amy Clapper 0-1 0-2 0; Jazz Weaver 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-56 16-26 67.

RADFORD (4-0)
D Erwin Spencer 9-15 9-9 27; Ashley Buckhannon 5-8 2-2 14; Katherine Brockett 3-6 0-1 7; Sarah Tabb 2-5 3-4 7; Victoria Hamilton 3-8 1-2 7; Ashia Holmes 2-3 0-2 4; Tiana Cannon 2-6 0-0 4; Breshara Gordon 1-2 1-2 3; Jordynn Gaymon 1-5 0-0 2; La-She' Walker 0-0 0-0 0; Kiera Mcivor 0-0 0-0 0; Ayana Avery 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-58 16-22 75.

UNCG..........................   23   44  -   67
Radford.......................   39   36  -   75

3-point goals--UNCG 3-10 (April Carson 2-4; Sarah Folwell 1-2; Natalie Headley 0-1; Breonna Patterson 0-3), Radford 3-7 (Ashley Buckhannon 2-4; Katherine Brockett 1-3). Fouled out--UNCG-None, Radford-None. Rebounds—UNCG 32 (Breonna Patterson 6), Radford 36 (D Erwin Spencer 5; Jordynn Gaymon 5). Assists--UNCG 7 (Natalie Headley 3), Radford 20 (D Erwin Spencer 9). Total fouls--UNCG 23, Radford 20. Technical fouls--UNCG-None, Radford-None. A-195

- UNCG -