ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Newberry women's basketball team defeated the Winthrop Eagles, 67-63, in an exhibition matchup on Saturday afternoon at Winthrop Coliseum.
The Wolves came out hot, posting a 20-12 lead after the first quarter. Newberry led by as much as 15 after
Kelsey McDermott made one of the Wolves eight first half 3-pointers with 4:56 remaining in the second quarter. Newberry played stout defense against the NCAA Division I school, holding the Eagles to just 23.5 percent shooting from the field in the first half.
Winthrop executed a full-court press on the Wolves for most of the second half, forcing several miscues leading to the Eagles regaining the lead, 54-52, in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter before
Meg Essex caught fire and scored six straight points in less than two minutes to put the Wolves back on top.
Essex was one of three Wolves with double-digits scoring, finishing the game with 20 points, nine boards, and five blocks. Down the stretch, Essex blocked two Winthrop players on the same possession and then drained a baseline jumper in the final minute of the game, essentially stopping any sign of a comeback for the Eagles.
Regan McCarty recorded her third straight double-double with 15 points and 13 boards, while also adding six assists.
Shelby Britten also added 19 points on 5-of-10 shooting from downtown in 38 minutes of action.
POSTGAME NOTES:
- Last time defeating a Division I foe: Nov. 14, 2009, an 88-66 win over UNC-Asheville
- This is the second time this season that the Wolves have made 10 or more 3-pointers
- Newberry has had double-double in four straight contests
- The Eagles were held to 28.8 percent shooting on the day, the lowest mark from a Newberry opponent this season
The Wolves will enjoy a few days of rest before hitting the road to Hickory, N.C. for the first South Atlantic Conference matchup of the season against Lenoir-Rhyne on Tuesday. Tip-off is set for 5:00 pm with live streaming and live stats available to fans.
