NEWBERRY - In the midst of an all-time best 9-0 start to the 2006-07 season, Newberry College broke another school record in Saturday's 61-28 crushing of Erskine College. By holding the Flying Fleet to just 17.8 percent shooting from the floor, the Lady Indians played the best defensive game in school history.
The 28 points allowed to the Flying Fleet is the fewest points ever allowed by a Lady Indian team, besting the previous mark of 29 points allowed set last season against Allen University.
The tenacious defense of the scarlet and gray picked the Flying Fleet player's pockets for 12 steals and forced 23 turnovers while only yielding 14.
Newberry (9-0) never left the issue in doubt. Erskine (1-5) struck first at the 19:09 marker and last with 16 seconds left, but in between the Lady Indian defense stymied Erskine allowing just six field goals in nearly 39 minutes.
After Flying Fleet freshman Mary Ann Langford put back a Leigh Gray miss for a 2-0 lead, Newberry blitzed Erskine for a 20-6 run, capped off by an Ashlee Wright lay-up. The Lady Indians never looked back.
Erskine would only score intermittently throughout the match with just 13 first half points and only 15 in the second.
Offensively, Newberry was able to empty the bench and still dominate. Junior forward Tonique Frasier netted 13 points and 14 rebounds, including six offensive boards, to record her fourth double-double of the season.
Monica Alexander followed up her 24-point performance from Wednesday scoring 11, dishing out four assists, grabbing three boards, and ripping away two steals.
Ashlee Wright finished her afternoon with 10 points and five assists in 25 minutes of play.
The Lady Indians outscored the Flying Fleet in just about every category, including points off the bench by a 20-7 margin. Newberry fans were treated to the first Ashley Marine sighting of the 2006-07 season. Coming off of a leg injury, Marine drained a three-pointer from the top of the key with 3:57 remaining to put a definitive stamp on the victory. Marine also went 3-of-3 from the free throw line for six points to lead all scorers off the bench.
In other scoring categories, Newberry dominated points in the paint 26-8 and capitalized on turnovers with 31 points coming from Flying Fleet miscues. The Lady Indians ran the Fleet into the ground with 12 fast-break points and allowed none.
The scarlet and gray are in action next Saturday, December 16 at Eleazer Arena as the Lady Indians shoot for 10 wins in a row against Francis Marion University. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m.
