NEWBERRY - Off the strength of a career-high 25 points from Monica Alexander (Norcross, Ga.), the Newberry College women's basketball team beat the No. 4 regionally ranked Presbyterian Blue Hose tonight in Eleazer Arena, 70-63. Newberry broke a 56-all deadlock with 3 minutes left and outscored the Blue Hose 14-7, closing the game with eight consecutive successful free throws.
Newberry improves to 14-10, 5-6 in the South Atlantic Conference, while Presbyterian leaves with an 18-5 record, 7-3 in the SAC.
With 60 seconds left and nursing a four-point lead, Newberry's Anita Bulcher (Russia, Ohio) initiated a four-point swing that put the lead at a comfortable distance. The freshman center blocked PC forward Sharie Hopkins' (Chesapeake, Va.) short jumper, and on the other end of the court, snared Alexander's free throw miss and made the putback with 42 ticks on the clock. Rebecca Wessinger (Laurens, S.C.) committed an offensive foul on the next possession, and Jonelle Yaklich (LaSalle, Ill.) canned two free throws to create a three-possession lead at 64-56.
Alexander carried the load the rest of the way, as she made sure she was the recipient of every inbounds pass. Fouled each time, Alexander went six-for-six from the stripe down the stretch to secure the win. Newberry gave up inconsequential baskets on PC's last two possessions to end the game with the seven-point win.
Coming out of a 35-30 halftime, Newberry wasted little time pushing the lead to 16. Alexander had five points and two assists during the run. PC's Bridget Takach (Chapin, S.C.) made the first basket of what would become a 21-5 run over nine minutes. On one possession, the Blue Hose grabbed five offensive boards before drawing within two at 56-54.
The first half was tightly contested throughout with five ties and seven lead changes, and no lead larger than the seven-point edge by Newberry before PC's Amy Jones (Warthen, Ga.) dropped in the final basket of the period.
Billed as a battle on the boards, the game ended with both teams tied at 39 rebounds. Presbyterian and Newberry were fourth and fifth in Division II in rebound margin coming into the contest, but having to face each other will drop both in the national rankings.
After last weekend's overtime loss to Wingate, the Lady Indians needed this win to get back on track.
"Tonight we played a different style of game," stated head coach Jason Brink. "Our style of defense was better. The effort for loose balls and rebounds was crucial tonight."
In addition to Alexander's 25 points, the sophomore guard added nine assists. Laura Marquardt (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) and Tonya Deese (Newberry, S.C.) added 14 and 10 points, respectively. Deese recorded seven rebounds to lead the Lady Indians along with Tonique Frasier (Walterboro, S.C.).
For Presbyterian, Wessinger led the team with 23 points. Other Blue Hose in double figures were Jones and Hopkins with 12 and 11. Hopkins also found double digits in rebounds with 13.
Next on the conference slate for Newberry is a Saturday contest at Tusculum College. Presbyterian hosts Lenoir-Rhyne at 2 p.m. on the 18th.
