GREENEVILLE, Tenn. - For the first time since January 20, 2007, the Newberry women's basketball team picked up a victory over Tusculum in Greeneville, Tenn., as the Wolves upset the No. 19 Pioneers 57-53.
Newberry (5-2, 2-0 South Atlantic Conference) led for the majority of the game after taking a one point lead on a jumper by freshman Haylee Lepaio (Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia). Lepaio's jumper set off a 7-0 run by the Wolves that was halted on a jumper by Tusculum's (5-2, 1-1 SAC) April McCann with 14:20 on the clock.
Newberry saw its lead slip away as the Pioneers knotted the game up at 11-11. The Wolves again took over the lead as junior Kendra Brown (Swansea, S.C.) went one-for-two from the free throw line. The Wolves and Pioneers went back-and-forth for the remainder of the first half and ended tied at 25-25 as Tusculum's Kendal Baxter hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Lepaio led all scorers in the first half with six points and added five rebounds in the half.
The Wolves began the second half behind as Staci Hicks put the Pioneers up by two at the free throw line. The lead eight seconds into the second half was the final lead of the game for the Pioneers as the Wolves extended their lead to six three times in the half. The final six-point lead for the Wolves came with 5:18 on the clock as Lepaio hit two consecutive free throws.
After the two teams exchanged baskets the Pioneers found themselves within one point of the Wolves at 2:07 on a layup by Linda Aughburns. Off the next inbounds pass Newberry's Neicey Lewis (Riverdale, Ga.) was fouled and went to the line and gave the Wolves a three-point lead on a pair of made free throws.
Newberry extended the lead to five points as Brown swiped the ball from Hicks and drove the length of the court for an easy layup at 1:44. The two teams exchanged missed jumpers before a foul by Lepaio sent Hicks to the line where she would hit two free throws to cut the Wolves lead down to three.
A layup by Brown with 18 seconds left put the Wolves out of the Pioneers' reach despite a late layup by Hicks for TC.
Lepaio led the Wolves with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Lewis and Brown added 10 points each. Keisha Henderson (Columbia, S.C.) added seven rebounds and five assists in the winning effort. Tusculum's Hicks led all scorers with 21 points and Aughburns tallied 13 rebounds to lead all players.
Newberry continues the 2011-12 campaign on December 13 at Saint Leo. The Wolves and Lions are scheduled to tip off at 2 p.m.
