SALISBURY, N.C. - After picking up four straight South Atlantic Conference victories the Newberry College women's basketball team dropped its regular season finale to Catawba, 79-60.
Newberry (16-10, 11-7 SAC) started the game off on shaky ground, scoring just one basket in the first five and a half minutes of play, an Ellie Gleeson (New South Wales, Australia) jumper, and managed just two more field goals half way through the first period, allowing Catawba (15-13, 9-9 SAC) a five point advantage.
Things didn't get much better for the Wolves at the end of the first period as the Indians went on a 9-0 run to send the game into the intermission.
Coming out of the locker rooms it was more of the same as Catawba senior Milica Ivanovic (Belgrade, Serbia) hit a jumper just 10 seconds into the period followed quickly by a Kisha Long (Dallas, N.C.) three to put the Indians up by 19.
A pair of Helen McKinney (Owensboro, Ky.) free throws at the 14:27 mark in the second half would cut the Catawba lead down to 12, but the Wolves couldn't manage to close the gap by more than a dozen for the remainder of the contest.
"They're a good team and we saw that up close and personal today," said Newberry head coach Sean Page. "They came out with a lot of intensity and beat us at every position on the court."
The Wolves couldn't stay out of their own way during the contest, committing 23 fouls and sending the Indians to the line 27 times where they were successful for 23 points.
Newberry was led offensively by McKinney's 17 points, all of which came in the second half, and Leeara Creet's (Brisbane, Australia) career high 14. Dana Hicks (York, S.C.) picked up 25 for the Indians, going 9-of-11 from the free-throw line, while Ivanovic added 24.
The scarlet and gray were once again outdone in the paint, allowing Catawba 28 points under the basket and getting outrebounded by Catawba 28-44.
"It's disappointing to say the least," added Page. "We had a lot on the line today including a shot at the two seed in the tournament. You never want to see your season end this way but we'll go back to work and be ready for the postseason."
The Wolves will be back in action this Wednesday as they host Mars Hill in the first round of the Food Lion SAC Tournament. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
