Presbyterian College men’s basketball is doubly frustrating.

It’s not enough that the Blue Hose have lost five consecutive Big South Conference games. They’re close. They’re excruciating. They are stress-related.

Four points to UNC Asheville. Ten to Winthrop. Three to High Point. Ten to Longwood. If the Blue Hose are starting fast and going flat, they’re going flat and closing fast. As the Doobie Brothers noted, What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits.

Last season Quenton Ferrell’s PC squad lost 18 straight games to end the season and finish 5-17. All 18 were by 10 points or less. The average deficit was 5.83 points.

George Santos couldn’t make that up.

In a setup that is apart from the Big South norm, Presbyterian (9-12, 1-5) is taking on Radford (12-9, 2-4) at its Dedmon Center in the latter of two games. The PC women (12-9, 3-3) open at 2 p.m. against the Highlanders (9-11, 5-1), followed by the men at 4:30. The teams conduct another twinbill at Templeton Center on Feb. 10 at the same times.

Darris Nichols’ team is coming off a 64-61 victory over UNC Asheville. Guard Kenyon Giles leads the Highlanders with a scoring average of 14.3. Justin Archer leads in rebounds with 7.6. Radford leads the Big South in three-point shooting percentage (.372). PC leads the conference in overall percentage (.484).

Radford leads the series, 26-9. The Highlanders edged the Blue Hose out of last year’s Big South Tournament, 69-68.

Marquis Barnett leads PC’s balanced scoring attack, averaging 14.2 points, leads the conference in steals with an average of 1.9 per game. Close in scoring is Samage Teel (13.0). Jonah Pierce leads the rebounders with a 5.2 norm.

Radford leads the series, 21-9. PC’s most recent victory was on the road two years ago.

Tilda Sjokvist led the Blue Hose women past Longwood, 69-66, last Saturday with 20 points.

Radford has already defeated High Point, Longwood, Winthrop, Gardner-Webb and UNCA. The Highlanders’ lone Big South loss was to UNC Upstate, 70-65. Ashland Traylor-Walker leads the Highlanders, averaging 16.3 points a game. Taniya Hanner grabs 6.9 rebounds a game and scores at a 10.5 clip.

Among common opponents, Presbyterian has also defeated Winthrop, Longwood and UNCA but lost to High Point and Gardner-Webb. PC’s other loss was to Charleston Southern.

For the season, Mara Neira averages 13.1 points, Bryanna Brady 12.7 and Sjokvist 12.4. Sjokvist also averages 3.4 assists.

Jake Douvas has joined Nick Finotti’s men’s soccer staff. He previously worked with Finotti at Wofford and spent the past year with Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution.

Two Blue Hose, senior infielder Brody Fahr and fifth-year pitcher Tanner Smith (from Laurens) made the preseason All-Big South baseball team.

PC was picked sixth by the league’s coaches in the Big South Preseason Poll.

BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE BASEBALL POLL
1. USC Upstate
2. Gardner-Webb
3. High Point
T-4. Winthrop
T-4. UNC Asheville
6. Presbyterian College
7. Charleston Southern
8. Longwood
9. Radford

Senior second baseman Kaitlyn Tucker made the Big South softball team.

A native of Oakboro, N.C., Tucker has started all 127 games in her PC career.

The Blue Hose were also picked sixth in the coaches’ poll.

Big South Softball Preseason Poll

T-1. Longwood (4 first-place votes, 45 points)

T-1. USC Upstate (3 first-place votes, 45 points)

3. Charleston Southern (34 points)

T-4. Gardner-Webb (21 points)

Junior midfielder Willow Hammond made All-Big South preseason in lacrosse.

T-4. Winthrop (21 points)

6. Presbyterian (18 points)

7. Radford (12 points)

Guess what? Coaches picked the Blue Hose sixth.

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