NEWBERRY - The Newberry College women's basketball team stayed undefeated at home Saturday by defeating the Catawba Catawba Indians, 88-72. They are now 7-0 at Eleazer Arena.
Laura Marquardt (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) led the scarlet and gray to victory with a game high 19 points. She was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line and shot a phenomenal 5-for-7 from three point range. Helen McKinney earned her fifth double-double of the season with a game high 10 rebounds and 12 points.
Monica Alexander (Norcross, Ga.) was the team's second leading scorer, earning 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the field. She also pulled down seven boards and dished out four assists. Janine Ward (Tallevast, Fla.) led the team in assists and set a new career high with 10. Rounding out the five players that scored in double figures is Anita Bulcher (Russia, Ohio) with 14 points and Sade Coates (Meridian, Miss.) with 10.
Despite the loss, Brittany Higgins (Takoma, Park, Md.) played great, leading Catawba in points (14), rebounds (7), and assists (3). Kisha Long (Dallas, N.C.) also played well, earning 12 points and four rebounds.
Newberry came out and established an early double-digit lead in the opening half, going up 19-9 within the first six minutes. Catawba cut the home team's lead to five points on two occasions, but Newberry stayed on track and never gave up the lead. They led by as much as 15 in the first half and entered the locker room on top, 47-36.
Newberry shot very well in the opening half and earned a 51.6% field goal percentage. They also took great shots from outside, nailing 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. Newberry kept it up on defense as well, holding Catawba to 36.4% from the field and 18.2% from three-point range before halftime.
Alexander had her best half of the night, earning 10 points on 3-for-5 shooting. The leading scorer for Catawba in the first half was Kisha Long with seven points.
The scarlet and gray kept their foot on the gas and maintained their edge over the Catawba Indians. They never let up and even doubled their halftime lead with 9:38 still left on the clock. Catawba went into desperation mode, but their barrage of three-pointers could not bring them back into the game as Newberry earned the 16 point victory.
In the end, it was all about Newberry's fantastic shooting display. They shot 52.6% from the floor and a stellar 60% from three-point range overall. They were also dominant inside, scoring 30 points in the paint to Catawba's 16. On defense, the scarlet and gray held the Catawba Indians to 4-for-21 from behind the arc.
With the win, the Newberry College women's basketball team moves to 12-6 overall, 5-2 in the SAC, and 7-0 at home. They will return to action this Wednesday when they travel to Brevard at 6 p.m. Catawba (11-7, 3-4 in the SAC) will also be on the road this Wednesday as they travel to Carson-Newman at 6 p.m.
