MARS HILL, N.C. - The Newberry College women's basketball team gained a full-game lead in the South Atlantic Conference standings with a thrilling victory over Mars Hill on Wednesday night. Newberry (15-5, 8-2 SAC) built a large lead but had to fight off a Mars Hill (4-17, 1-9 SAC) comeback effort that ultimately fell short.
Despite giving up the more points than it had in the last eight games, Newberry's defense was sound as the scarlet and gray menaced the Lions into coughing up 19 turnovers.
Newberry held the Lions to just nine field goals in the second half in order to thwart any potential comeback effort.
The scarlet and gray enjoyed a .389 (28-72) shooting effort from the floor as they held the Lions to .361(22-61) in the affair.
Newberry continued to display its dominance beneath the basket by pulling down 50 rebounds and only allowing the Lions nine offensive boards.
Newberry led for most of the first half until Mars Hill saw its first lead at the 14:30 mark off a layup by Katie Buckner (Canton, Ga.). Her drive to the basket made the score 12-11.
Newberry took a six-point lead at the midway point of the first half when Helen McKinney (Owensboro, Ky.) hit a three to make it 21-15.
Krystal Moore (Summerfield, N.C.) hit a running jumper from the baseline to give Mars Hill a 35-34 advantage with three minutes remaining, but Newberry controlled the remaining minutes and led 41-37 at halftime.
Jessica Bearzatto (Melbourne, Australia) and Anita Bulcher (Russia, Ohio) each had 10 points at the break for Newberry. Moore and Brittini Young (Ramseur, N.C.) had 11 first-half points for the Lions.
Newberry grabbed its first double-digit lead of the game, 50-40, off another McKinney three pointer three minutes into the second half.
Trailing 70-59 with 4:43 left in the game, Young scored five straight points to cut Newberry's lead to 70-64. A Harvey layup two minutes later trimmed the Newberry advantage to five points, 71-66, but the Lions would get no closer.
Bulcher and McKinney each netted 18 points to lead all Newberry scorers. Bulcher amassed 11 rebounds as well, completing her thirteenth double-double on the year and third in as many games.
Bearzatto offered a brilliant performance on the night as well. In addition to 16 points, Bearzatto amassed five assists and three steals, both of which were game highs.
Leanne Watson (Stone Mountain, Ga.) pulled down 15 rebounds for the scarlet and gray and led all players in the game as well. Amy Browne (Maroochydore, Australia) contributed 14 points to Newberry's effort.
Young, a junior guard for the Lions, scored a game-high 27 points and is now six points away from passing Lee Ann Enix for 17th on the Mars Hill women's basketball all-time scoring list.
Newberry, by virtue of a Wednesday night Catawba loss, now controls a full-game lead in the SAC standings.
The scarlet and gray will stay on the road to see Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday, February 6. The Bears sit just a game behind Newberry in the standings with a 14-6, 7-3 SAC record. Newberry shot better than 50 percent from the floor when it saw Lenoir-Rhyne earlier this season and beat the bears 77-59 at home. Saturday's game is scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m.
