BRISTOL, Tenn.—Newberry (3-2) traveled to face nonconference opponent King (2-2) on Saturday afternoon with a final score of 71-61.
The matchup started out tick for tack, as the Wolves claimed the first period as their own scoring 15 points to contrast eight for the Tornado.
King later found their footing and dictated pace of play for the remainder of the game. The Tornado began to distance themselves from the Wolves starting in the second period. However, King's biggest surge came in the third period where they scored 25 points to Newberry's 14.
Newberry totaled seven steals as a team and capitalized on those King miscues scoring 15 points off turnovers. The Wolves were also very active inside the painted area posting 32 points while pulling down 45 rebounds on the night.
This wasn't the best shooting night for Newberry as they went 31.6 percent from the field but Nicola Handreck had the hot-hand scoring 20 points, notching five steals, and totaling seven rebounds. Handreck set a new career high in steals tonight, with her previous high being four.
The Wolves came alive in the final period outscoring the Tornado 20-19. Shelby Britten led the fourth period comeback knocking down four of those crucial shots. Britten ended the contest with 15 points, two assists, and two rebounds.
Handreck, Courtney Lyons, Georgia Elliott-King, and Meg Essex were all other Wolves who were involved with the late surge each draining a critical basket of their own.
Essex who had recently posted a career high in rebounds (12 on Nov. 16 at Emmanuel, Ga.) grabbed 13 boards in tonight's contest. She finished the night with nine points, two blocks, and an assist.
"Give credit to King, they came out and played harder and were more focused than us," said Head Coach Sean Page. "Our defensive consistancy was a problem again. We kept them to eight points in the first period and they scored 63 in the next three."
King had four different players with double digit scoring to end the game.
Newberry will return home to play their first conference game against the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 6 p.m.
