NEWBERRY - The Newberry women's basketball team avenged an early season loss today in a rout over Carson-Newman College, 75-45. On the game, the Lady Indians outrebounded the NCAA South Atlantic Region No. 9 team 58-37 and held them to a dismal 21.7% shooting from the field. Newberry improves to 13-8 overall and 4-4 in the South Atlantic Conference, while Carson-Newman falls to 13-8 overall and 5-3 in the SAC.
"The most important part of this win is that it's a conference win," stated head coach Jason Brink. "Being that it's the second time around in the conference, we wanted to start off on the right foot and win this game and at home so that we can try to set ourselves up for a home seed advantage come tournament time. Our defense and rebounding was just top notch tonight."
Although both teams started off slow offensively, the Lady Indians pushed the tempo on defense and held their competitors to just two points in the game's first 9:13. Carson-Newman's first basket came at the 15:42 mark. As Newberry started to find their rhythm on offense, the Lady Eagles continued to falter thanks to Newberry's pressure. With 7:02 to go in the half, the Lady Indians held a 17-6 advantage.
Newberry built a 17-point lead, 27-10, with under three minutes left in the first, but the Lady Eagles used a 7-4 run to end the half, making the score 31-17 at the break. The Lady Indians held Carson-Newman to just four made field goals in the opening period, good for 16.7% shooting. Newberry's rebound advantage was already at 10 at the half.
Carson-Newman's glimmer of hope was all but snuffed out as Newberry once again held the Eagles scoreless for nearly five minutes to start the second. The Lady Indians' continued pressure and sound rebounding skills were constants throughout the final half, leading Newberry to their third victory over the Lady Eagles in program history.
Newberry tacked on the points en route to a game-high 34-point lead, 66-32, with 5:25 to go. The Lady Indian bench also came up big, as they put together a combined 21 points, most of which came in the second half.
Sophomores Tonique Frasier (Walterboro, S.C.) and Monica Alexander (Norcross, Ga.) paced Newberry with 17 points a piece. Frasier also grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds, her fifth double-double of the year, and scored 13 of her points in the second half. Freshman Anita Bulcher (Russia, Ohio), who got her first start of the season, added eight points and seven boards. Cassie Burks (Las Vegas, Nevada) led the way for Carson-Newman with 13 points, while Eboni Johnson (Columbia, S.C.) added 10. Tashea Ledbetter (Charlotte, N.C.) led the Eagles on the glass with eight rebounds.
"The biggest job I have between now and Wednesday [game at Catawba] is the mental preparation of our team as we are coming off a very big win at home," concluded Brink. "This will be one of the biggest mental challenges of the entire year."
The Lady Indians' game at Catawba is scheduled for 6 p.m. on February 8. The Lady Eagles will also play on February 8 at 6 p.m., as they face Lenoir-Rhyne College at home.
