NEWBERRY – Despite pushing the Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters (18-6, 12-4 SAC) to the brink throughout the second half, the Newberry Wolves (9-15, 4-12 SAC) couldn't pull off the upset, falling to the Railsplitters at home by a score of 91-85.
 
After opening the game with four consecutive three-point bombs, the Railsplitters were able to maintain the lead for the entirety of the first half. The Wolves were able to get within two points at 35-33, but LMU ended the half on a 5-0 run to establish their 40-33 halftime lead.
 
The Railsplitters saw fireworks from Alex Dahling in the first half, as the guard connected on 4-7 from long range for 14 points, while Courvoisier McCauley poured in 10 first half points himself.
 
Omari Wilson had a solid first half for the Wolves to keep the game close, scoring 12 points and pulling down three rebounds. Angelo Sales Jr., the team's second-leading scorer on the season, scored a modest seven points in the first half, but it was his second half dominance that would serve as the highlight of the game.
 
After the break, freshman Tai Giger went on a solo 9-0 run to give Newberry their first lead of the day, but after that, it was the Sales Jr. show.
 
The Wolves' gameplan shifted to exploit the lack of size on the LMU roster, and Sales Jr. was the sole beneficiary. Again and again, the Wolves fed the ball inside for the junior to go to work, and Sales Jr. did not disappoint.
 
Sales Jr. put on an absolute display of touch and strength inside, going 8-12 from the floor in the second half. He overpowered every defender who attempted to stop him, getting to the line often and connecting on 10-12 from the charity stripe.
 
At the end of the day, Sales Jr. finished with a career-high 33 points as well as pulling down a team-high 10 rebounds.
 
Unfortunately for the Wolves, a more balanced offensive effort on the part of LMU proved to be just slightly more than they could overcome, with five Railsplitters finishing in double-digits, led by Cameron Henry's 21 points.
 
The Railsplitters outshot the Wolves by a wide margin, with each team shooting 46.3 percent and 34.7 percent respectively, and ultimately walked out of Eleazer with their second win of the season over Newberry.
 
Wilson and Giger both finished with 12 points for Newberry, while TJ Brown and Marquis Collins made their presence known on the glass with eight rebounds each.
 
The Wolves will get the opportunity to get back in the win column on Wednesday, February 20 at 8:00 pm when they take on conference opponent Wingate at Eleazer Arena. In their first meeting this season, the Bulldogs took care of business against the Wolves, winning by a score of 83-77.