NEWBERRY - In the final regular season meeting as inter-conference rivals, Newberry College women's basketball shelled the Lady Blue Hose, 71-44, in front of more than 500 fans at Eleazer Arena on Wednesday night.
The victory pushed Newberry to 20 wins on the season marking the first time a Lady Indian basketball team has won 20 games in a season.
With only a five point lead at the half, Newberry (20-6, 9-6 SAC) exploded offensively to start the second stanza. The scarlet and gray went on a 17-5 run in the opening 8:14 of the second half for a 52-55 lead over Presbyterian (5-20, 0-14 SAC).
During a stretch of seven possessions from 18:27 to the 14:44 mark, the Lady Indians connected from the field six times. Sophomore Tiffany Smalls scored seven straight points in a span of 40 seconds, including a spectacular baseline drive and scoop for a deuce and a foul at the 15:25 mark.
Smalls finished the evening with a career-high 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. The Charleston native also had an assist and a steal in 21 minutes.
After building a sizeable lead early in the second, Newberry continued to shoot well. The Lady Indians shot 55.2 percent from the field in the second half, hitting 16-of-29 field goal attempts.
Though Newberry cruised to a 26-point win, Presbyterian kept the issue in doubt in the first half. After the Lady Indians had bolted out 15-2 lead to start the game, the Lady Blue Hose slowly cut began to cut the deficit.
Staying within eight or nine points the majority of the first half, Presbyterian cranked out a an 8-0 run from just under the four minute mark until under a minute was left. Guard Bridget Takach put the Lady Blue Hose within a bucket at the 1:37 mark.
Up 32-30, Lady Indian junior Ashlee Wright hit 1-of-2 free throws with 44 seconds remaining to regain a three point edge. Then, sophomore center Anita Bulcher claimed an offensive rebound and cashed in on the put-back to secure a five point lead, 35-30, and the game's momentum at the break.
Head coach Jason Brink received excellent scoring efforts from his bench. The Newberry bench accounted for 41 points, nearly as many points as Presbyterian scored for the entirety of the game.
Along with Smalls' 16 points, Cicely Jenkins also had a career-best in points. The Columbia native hit 5-of-7 shots from the floor and tallied 11 points in 20 minutes.
Though Newberry's bench produced sensational numbers, the steadfast Tonique Frasier continued her excellent season with another double-double performance, her tenth of the season.
Frasier netted 17 points to lead all scorers, including an impressive 7-for-10 showing at the free throw line. The junior forward from Walterboro also had season-highs in assists with four and blocks with three.
Takach had 16 points for Presbyterian and Jessica Parris added 12.
The Lady Indians out-rebounded the Lady Blue Hose by 15 and dominated points in the paint, 38-18. Pushing the tempo, the scarlet and gray accounted for 16 fast break points. Presbyterian only had two.
As the final home game of the season, Newberry women's basketball honored its only senior Tygress Hope at the conclusion of the game. Hope has appeared in over 50 games for the scarlet and gray, grabbing more than 190 rebounds for the Lady Indians. Hope finished her final regular season game at Eleazer Arena with six points, six rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 18 minutes.
The Lady Indians finish the regular season this Saturday in Harrogate, Tenn. with a 6 p.m. bout with Lincoln Memorial University. Newberry has a chance to reach double-digits in South Atlantic Conference wins for the first time in school history.
