NEWBERRY – With 15 seconds on the clock, the Newberry Wolves (5-7, 1-4 SAC) had an opportunity to take their first lead of the game and knock off the Queens Royals (14-2, 6-0 SAC), the team ranked No. 9 and No. 13 in the D2SIDA poll and NABC Coaches poll, respectively.
 
The Royals' Josh Brodowicz made one of two free throws to extend the Queens lead to 96-94, leaving the door open for one last chance for Newberry.
 
The Wolves inbounded the ball and pushed down the court, running through a play until the ball was kicked to the corner for a three-pointer that could close the book on a signature win for the Wolves.
 
But it was not to be.
 
The shot was just long, and although the Wolves were able to grab the offensive rebound, time expired before another shot attempt was made, capping off the two-point victory for the Royals.
 
Despite the final result, it was a stellar effort from head coach Dave Davis's team, pushing one of the top teams in the entire country to the brink and nearly pulling off the upset. Two players in particular, juniors Marshall Lange and Angelo Sales Jr., stepped up in for the Wolves.
 
Lange scored a season-high 23 points on 6-15 shooting with a perfect 9-9 clip from the free throw line. He also recorded six rebounds and three assists to round out his night.
 
With Newberry facing off against Lewis Diankulu, the 6-7 center who won SAC Player of the Week at the beginning of January, Sales Jr. was the answer, recording a career-high 25 points to go along with 10 rebounds to secure his third double-double of the season. What was especially impressive about his night was his efficiency, as he achieved his 25 points on just 13 shot attempts (9-13).
 
The Wolves gave themselves an opportunity to win, but ultimately couldn't match the across the board offensive effort from the Royals. Four players scored in double-digits, led by Shaun Willett's massive night of 26 points and 19 rebounds. The aforementioned Diankulu also recorded a double-double, posting 10 points and 12 boards.
 
It was one of the more impressive outings of the season for Newberry, especially considering the opponent at hand, and despite the loss it is a good sign for this young team as the season continues to unfold.
 
The Wolves return to Eleazer Arena on Saturday, January 12 for another conference matchup against the Anderson Trojans at 4:00 pm.