GREENVILLE – Newberry led for the majority of the first half at Division I Furman Thursday night, but the Paladins took the lead for good late in the second quarter and pulled away throughout the second half to defeat Newberry 62-43 at Timmons Arena.
The game was an exhibition for the Wolves, their third of the season against Division I opponents, while counting as a regular season contest for the hosts. Furman improved to 9-5 on the season, equaling UNC Greensboro for the most wins among Southern Conference teams, while Newberry remains 5-5 with a regular season South Atlantic Conference matchup against Lincoln Memorial on deck Saturday.
The loss denied Newberry its bid for a second straight season with an exhibition win over a Division I opponent after last year's 67-63 victory over Winthrop in Rock Hill.
Furman took an early 2-0 lead, holding the advantage for just 16 seconds until Newberry tied the score on a bucket by
Kelsey McDermott. The Paladins would not retake the lead until the 4:37 mark of the second quarter, with Newberry leading by as many as five points at several points throughout the early going.
The Wolves forced 15 first-half Furman turnovers, coming away with three steals and taking several charges while converting the Paladin miscues into nine points. Furman was able to creep back into the game in the second quarter however, holding Newberry without a field goal for nearly five minutes while chipping away at the Wolves' lead. The Paladins moved ahead for good with 1:28 to play before the intermission, the fourth and final lead change in a game that also saw seven ties.
Furman scored on its first two trips down the floor in the third quarter to stretch its led from three to eight points, the first point in the game that either team led by more than two possessions. The Paladins would go on to dominate the second half, outscoring the Wolves 34-18 after the break and shooting 48 percent from the field, including 59 percent from inside the arc, while limiting Newberry to 25 percent from the field in the third and fourth quarters.
McDermott led the Wolves with nine points, all coming in the first half, with
Mylaysia Gates and
Kelsey Brett chipping in eight and six, respectively. Gates paced the Wolves with eight rebounds, helping Newberry keep the Paladins' lead on the boards to 41-36.
The Paladins were dominant in the paint, outpacing Newberry 38-16, and shared the ball effectively with 14 assists on 24 made baskets. Six Newberry players were credited with on assist each.
Both teams fell to Elon their last time on the floor, Newberry by a 73-53 score on Dec. 17 in an exhibition game and Furman by an 87-76 margin in overtime on Monday. The Paladins return to action on Jan. 9 with a conference game against Mercer. Tipoff at Eleazer Arena between Newberry and Lincoln Memorial is set for 2:00 p.m. Saturday.
