MILLEDGEVILLE, GA. - The Newberry College women's basketball team earned its first loss in over five weeks on Monday at the Craig Massee Real Estate Classic by losing to the UNC Pembroke Braves, 65-63.
It was a sad day for Newberry players and fans as it marked the first contest after the loss of Keena Phillips (Milwaukee, Wisc.). Phillips, 22, was traveling back to Newberry when she died in a tragic car accident. Although her passing has been tough on the team, other teams in the tournament showed their support with cards and personal messages.
Monica Alexander (Norcross, Ga.) was the leading scorer for the scarlet and gray with a game high 22 points. That total pushed her over the 1,000 point milestone, putting her at 1,017 points in her career. She also tied with Helen McKinney (Owensboro, Ky.) for the rebound lead with eight.
JaToya Kemp (Elizabethtown, N.C.) led the Braves to victory with 13 points and a team high eight rebounds. She made 4-of-9 from the field and was a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line. The leading scorer for UNCP was Lavontay Johnson (Charlotte, N.C.) with 14 points.
The scarlet and gray had trouble shooting in the opening half and the Braves made them pay. With Newberry leading 9-7, UNCP went on a 16-3 run that gave them a lead they would never give up. NC cut the deficit down to seven points before UNCP went on a 10-1 run to finish the half. Newberry went back into he locker room trailing, 37-21.
Newberry shot poorly from the field in the first half, sinking 21% from field goal range and 10% from beyond the arc. UNCP earned their lead by shooting 52% from the field and 36% from three-point range. The Braves won the turnover battle as well, committing 10 to Newberry's 13.
Alexander led the way for the scarlet and gray in the first half with 11 of the team's 21 points. She earned her 1,000th point on a free throw with 15:33 left in the period. Kemp was the top player for the Braves with seven points and a team high six rebounds.
The scarlet and gray came out of the break looking like the team that won sixth straight games. They controlled the tempo and slowly chipped away at the Braves' lead. They battled hard and cut the deficit to single digits with 8:26 left on the game clock. The Braves were being outplayed but they did their best to stop NC's momentum by attacking the basket and getting to the foul line.
The deficit continued to drop and a layup from Laura Marquardt (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) cut UNCP's lead to two points with six seconds remaining. Unfortunately, the scarlet and gray could not foul quickly enough and did not get an opportunity to tie the ball game. Although they lost, Newberry outscored their opponent by 14 points in the second half.
Newberry shot the ball much better in the final period, improving its field goal percentage to 45% in the second half. The scarlet and gray dominated the glass as well in the second half with 27 rebounds, 15 more than UNCP. It paid off and allowed NC to earn 15 second chance points in the final period.
Marquardt only earned two points in the first half but still finished the game strong, earning 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting. Johnson was the leading scorer for the Braves in the second half with 10 points.
This season the scarlet and gray have been a dominant team from outside the arc. Unfortunately they struggled from three-point range against UNCP and only sank 4-of-22 shots from outside. They also lost the turnover battle, committing 19 TO's to the Braves' 17.
The loss puts the Newberry College women's basketball team at 8-3 on the season. The scarlet and gray will finish the tournament on Tuesday against Georgia College & State at 3 p.m. The ladies will return home this Saturday, January 3 to face Carson-Newman at 2 p.m. UNC Pembroke (5-4) will finish by playing Wingate at 1 p.m.
