NEWBERRY - The Newberry College women's basketball team capped off its undefeated home campaign with a 82-74 over Lincoln Memorial in South Atlantic Conference competition. Newberry (19-7, 12-4 SAC) moved to 13-0 on the year in Eleazer Arena.
Newberry never trailed in the game and stretched the lead to 17 points midway through the second half.
Newberry was better from the floor with a .435 (30-69) field-goal percentage. The scarlet and gray registered assists on 21 of their 30 baskets. Lincoln Memorial went .391 (25-64) from the floor in the game.
Newberry also controlled the play beneath the basket, doubling the Railsplitters' points in the paint while outrebounding Lincoln Memorial on both ends of the court. Newberry outscored LMU 24-12 in the paint and pulled down 46 rebounds compared to Railsplitters' 37. Newberry managed 16 offensive rebounds and converted them into 18 second-chance points.
The scarlet and gray limited themselves to just 10 turnovers and maintained quality possessions down the stretch.
Anita Bulcher (Russia, Ohio), one of Newberry's seniors honored in the Senior Day presentation, led Newberry in scoring with 26 points. Bulcher exploded for 18 points in the second half to distance her team from the competition. Bulcher pulled down 10 rebounds as well to secure her nineteenth double-double of the year and ninth consecutively. Her 19 double-doubles tie her for fifth place in Division II history and her nine consecutively tie her for seventh.
Bulcher was .615 (8-13) from the floor and .833 (10-12) from the free-throw line.
Newberry's other senior, Janine Ward (Tallevast, Fla.), got the start in the game and shined in running Newberry's offense. Ward tallied five assists as well as four points and three rebounds.
Leanne Watson (Stone Mountain, Ga.) scored double-digit points for the scarlet and gray with 15 on the night.
Jessica Bearzatto (Melbourne, Australia) solidified herself as the conference's best passer this year with an eight-assist performance. Bearzatto has racked up 138 assists this season to lead the SAC and averaged 5.31 assists per game over the course of the year. She currently sits in second place in Newbery College history for assists in a season and needs six more to break the record.
Newberry allowed Lincoln Memorial to even the score twice in the opening moments but Helen McKinney (Owensboro, Ky.) scored 7 points in the first five minutes to put Newberry on top. LMU never tied the game again after the 18:08 mark of the first half.
Newberry went on several short scoring runs in the first half to control the game. Watson and Bulcher combined for six points in just over a minute to put Newberry up 17-12. LMU narrowed the gap to 19-15, but Newberry then put up six unanswered points to lead 25-15 midway through the opening period.
LMU responded with a run of their own to cut the lead to four points but didn't score again in the final four minutes of the half. Newberry led 40-33 at the break.
Newberry opened the second half on an 8-1 run by virtue of five quick points out of Amy Browne (Maroochydore, Australia).
The scarlet and gray later enjoyed a 12-2 run that lasted three and a half minutes as Newberry built its largest lead. Bulcher converted a layup to cap off the run and put Newberry up by 17 with 8:24 remaining.
The Railsplitters outscored Newberry down the stretch but never matched Newberry's scoring runs enough to get back in the game.
The win assured Newberry the No. 2 seed in next week's Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament. Newberry has now taken seven straight from the Railsplitters and will look to make it eight in next week's tournament. LMU, which fell to the No. 7 seed in the tournament, will travel to Newberry again next week for the opening-round game. The game is scheduled for Wednesday, February 27, at 7 p.m. in Eleazer Arena.
