LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Newberry played with West Alabama stride for stride throughout much of the first half, but a 17-point Tigers' outburst spanning nearly eight minutes across both halves proved to be too difficult to overcome as Newberry fell 69-53 in its final contest of 2019.
The Wolves (7-4) took a 26-25 lead with 4:46 remaining in the first half on a layup by
TJ Brown, the eighth lead change in what had been a back-and-forth affair to that point. But West Alabama (9-2) responded with a three-pointer nearly two minutes later that sparked a 17-0 run over the next eight minutes.
Newberry mounted a comeback attempt late in the game, trimming the deficit to as few as 10 points just past the midway point of the second half, but 10 straight Tigers' points put the game out of reach for the Wolves. Newberry's 53 points scored represented its lowest point total of the season.
West Alabama, which won 23 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament a season ago, became just the second Newberry opponent this season to outrebound the Wolves, closing the game with a 41-31 advantage on the boards and a 10-6 lead in second-chance points. The Tigers also scored 36 points in the paint and dished out 20 assists on 25 made field goals.
West Alabama shot 49 percent from the field, the second-highest by a Newberry opponent this season, while holding Newberry to its lowest output of the season at 34 percent (20-for-58).
The teams traded the lead nine times with a pair of ties in a fast-paced first half that saw just seven combined fouls, six of which were whistled against West Alabama.
Angelo Sales, Jr. was the only Newberry player to reach double figures, finishing with 11 points on 4-for-12 from the floor. He recorded his fourth double-double of the season with a second consecutive 11-point, 11-rebound effort.
TJ Brown had nine points to finish second on the team, while
QuanDaveon McCollum,
Jalen Johnson, and
Marcus Ford chipped in seven apiece. Twelve different Wolves saw action in the contest.
West Alabama was led by 15 points from LaJuan Hardy. Ricky Dunnaway (14), Rene Scott (11), and DeAndre Harper (11) each scored in double figures for the Tigers. Harper and Dunnaway each had a double-double with 14 and 11 rebounds, respectively.
Newberry has a 15-day layoff between games, returning to action against perennial South Atlantic Conference powerhouse Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, Jan. 4. Tipoff from Eleazer Arena is set for 4:00 p.m.
