NEWBERRY - The Newberry Wolves men's basketball team picked up a huge win at home Saturday afternoon as they defeated Lenoir-Rhyne 76-72. With the win, the Wolves improve to 13-13 (9-11 SAC) on the season.

Newberry got off to a slow start in the game as the Bears scored the first six points. Angelo Sales, Jr. got the Wolves on the board with a three pointer, but Davion Bradford matched him to keep the lead at six. Marshall Lange then scored his first basket of the game, but Mason Hawks hit his first three pointer of the day to extend the lead to seven for Lenoir-Rhyne. After Marcus Ford made a jumper, Darius Simmons matched him.

Three combined free throws by Luke Gibson and TJ Brown cut the margin to four before Sales, Jr. scored to make it a one possession game. Hawks then hit consecutive three pointers to give Lenoir-Rhyne their biggest lead of the game at eight points. Jalen Johnson then got in the scoring column, but RJ Gunn matched him. Johnson then hit a three pointer, but Gunn scored again. Ford and QuanDaveon McCollum then scored to slice the lead down.

A Cooper Fowler corner three kept the lead at six for the Bears, but Sales, Jr. converted an and-one on the next possession. McCollum and Lange then made back to back baskets to give the Wolves their first lead of the game. A Fowler basket and a Simmons and-one gave Lenoir-Rhyne a four point lead, but Brown and Lange hit consecutive three pointers to regain the lead for Newberry. A Gunn three pointer, a Gibson jumper, another Gunn three pointer, and another Gibson jumper tied the score with 30 seconds to play, but Simmons made a layup just before the halftime buzzer to give the Bears a two point lead.

Brown scored out of the break to tie the score, but Gunn hit another three pointer. Two baskets by Lange gave the Wolves the lead, but Hawks made a layup of his own. Consecutive buckets by Sales, Jr. then gave Newberry a three point lead. Two free throws by Fowler and a Gunn jumper regained the lead for the Bears, but Brown scored again. Lange then converted an and-one opportunity, but Zim Fields scored to keep the lead at two.

Sales, Jr.'s layup was then answered by a Tyson McClain three pointer and two Fields free throws. Bradford and Hawks then combined for five points to extend the Lenoir-Rhyne lead out to six. A Gibson three pointer and a Brown and-one tied the scored, but Simmons hit two free throws for the Bears. Fields made another free throws, but Gibson hit a jumper. A Bradford layup, another Gibson jumper, and a Fields basket gave Lenoir-Rhyne a 68-65 lead with four minutes to play.

Gibson tied the score on the following possession, but Fields scored an easy layup. Callan Low then scored his only points of the game on a beautiful back cut to tie the score at 70. A Sales, Jr. jumper gave Newberry the lead, followed by several tense possessions. Brown then hit a baseline pull-up to give the Wolves a four point lead with just 23 seconds left on the clock, but Gibson fouled Simmons while shooting a three. Simmons made his first two free throws, but the third hung on the rim. McClain rebounded the ball and put up a tying shot, but Sales, Jr. blocked the ball and Lange was then fouled. Lange made both free throws to provide the final margin.

Three Wolves scored 16 points; Lange, Gibson, and Sales, Jr., who also had 14 rebounds for a double double. TJ Brown also finished in double figures with 13 points and nine rebounds. 

Newberry will look to finish out their home slate with a win as they take on Coker Wednesday night for Senior Day.