ROCK HILL - The Newberry College women's basketball team played competitively but dropped their second straight game, losing to the Division I Winthrop Eagles Saturday afternoon, 67-55.
Monica Alexander (Norcross, Ga.) was the leading scorer for the scarlet and gray, scoring 18 points and shooting 6-10 from the field. Anita Bulcher (Russia, Ohio) earned her second double-double of the week with 10 points and a team high 10 rebounds.
Ashley Fann (Hazel Green, Ala.) played dominant basketball in the paint for the Eagles and led her team in both points (23) and rebounds (13). Tiffany Rodd (Clinton, Tenn.) also played well by scoring 12 points and shooting 50% from three-point range.
Newberry came out playing tough and caught the Eagles off guard early by opening up a 9-5 lead with 15 minutes left in the half, causing Winthrop to burn an early timeout. With nine minutes remaining in the half, Winthrop went on a 12-3 run that put them back on top. The scarlet and gray kept their composure but the Eagles lead grew as they started to knock down three-pointers with ease. The scarlet and gray went back to the locker room at the break down, 34-20.
The scarlet and gray made stops on defense but had trouble putting the ball in the basket. They shot 27.6% from the field, missed half their free throws, and missed all nine of their three pointers. Winthrop did not shoot the three-ball very well either, but they hit all their threes within the final four minutes of the half which made the difference in the game.
Monica Alexander struggled from the line, but still found her lanes to the bucket and led the scarlet and gray with a team high eight points. The leading scorer at the halfway mark for the Eagles was Ashley Fann who scored 10 points and shot a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line.
Newberry picked its shots well in the second half but still struggled to shoot. NC only earned one field goal in the first five minutes and the Eagles' lead continued to grow. It looked as if the scarlet and gray had found their shot halfway through the final half but the deficit was too much to overcome. Despite the loss, Newberry still outscored Winthrop in the second half, 35-33.
Bulcher struggled to score in the paint in the first half but stayed focused to score eight points in the second. Fann also stepped her game up in the final half, earning 13 points and 10 rebounds.
The scarlet and gray did a great job moving the ball around, playing defense, and minimizing turnovers. Unfortunately, they struggled to make crucial baskets in transition and from behind the arc. Winthrop on the other hand, made the key baskets it needed and was stellar from the free throw line by sinking 16-20 in the game.
With the loss, the Newberry College women's basketball team falls to 2-2 overall. Next up for the scarlet and gray will be another road game on Tuesday, November 25, against Armstrong Atlantic State at 7 p.m. They will return home to face off against Lander on Saturday, November 29 at 7 p.m. Next up for Winthrop (2-1) will be a road match against Clemson this Tuesday, November 25.
