NEWBERRY - For the first time during the young season, the undefeated Newberry College women's basketball team trailed at halftime. Down 37-36 to Limestone College when the buzzer sounded to end the first, head coach Jason Brink and the Lady Indians jumpstarted the defense in the second frame led by guard Tosha Goodman.
With Newberry up by just two, 47-45, the junior from Winter Park, Fla. awed the crowd at 11:45 in the second when she batted the ball out of a Lady Saint's hand. After a high bounce seemed headed out of bounds, Goodman layed out into and over press row keeping the play alive.
Lady Indian guard Angela Smith corralled the loose ball and found a streaking Carnicha Bellinger for two points to push the lead to four.
With the momentum swinging towards the scarlet and gray, Newberry built a 10-point lead at the 8:33 mark after Bellinger cashed in on two free throws.
Newberry (8-0) was able to keep Limestone (1-7) at arm's length the remainder of the game en route to a 77-62 victory.
Though Limestone fell for the fifth consecutive game, the Lady Saints kept the issue in doubt. After battling back from a deficit of nine in the first half, Limestone received a collective effort from the bench resulting in 20 points from the Lady Saint non-starters.
Greer native Tiffany Jones troubled the Lady Indians in the first half, notching 13 points on 4-6 shooting from the field including two three-pointers.
Two Stephanie Munoz free throws with 3.3 seconds on the clock handed Newberry it's first halftime deficit of the 2006-07 season.
In the second half, a resolute Lady Indian team stepped up it's play. Monica Alexander, who also netted 13 points in the first half, dominated the tempo of the game. The junior point guard from Norcross, Ga. finished with 24 points, six rebounds, five assists, and a perfect 8-8 at the free throw line. The 24-point total was one shy of her career high of 25 set February 15, 2006 versus Presbyterian.
The Lady Indians dynamic duo of sophomore Carnicha Bellinger and junior Tonique Frasier continued to impress offensively. Bellinger tallied 15 points and nine rebounds along with four steals. Frasier, a Walterboro native, chalked up 18 points, eight rebounds, and five steals.
The 259 fans in attendance were also treated to some fantastic plays including Bellinger and Frasier.
After a hard fought steal at the 7:01 mark of the second half, Bellinger launched a long pass to Goodman who picked it out of mid-air and swung it to sophomore Cicely Jenkins on the wing. Jenkins then drove the lane and dished a no-look underhand pass to a driving Tonique Frasier who layed it in and drew a foul.
Junior Ashlee Wright also contributed to the offense with 11 points on 5-9 shooting from the floor in 29 minutes of play.
After 13 points in the first, Lady Saint Tiffany Jones was held scoreless by the Newberry defense after halftime stymieing the Limestone attack.
The Lady Indians out-rebounded the Lady Saints in the second half 24-16 and committed just 14 turnovers compared to Limestone's 28.
The Lady Indians next play in the first leg of a double header this Saturday at Eleazer Arena against Erskine College. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. and will be followed by the men's game also versus Erskine.
