NEWBERRY, S.C. – Newberry College junior forward QuanDaveon McCollum scored a team-high 25 points, but the Wolves lost to the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears 81-70 in the South Atlantic Conference Pilot Flying J Tournament Quarterfinals on Monday night.  
 
After stopping the Bears with a block on the first possession, McCollum was left open at the top of the arc and sank a three-pointer assisted by sophomore guard Robin Bedford. McCollum made another three at the 16:20 mark to tie the game 8-8.
 
Newberry kept nailing threes early in the game. McCollum gave the Wolves an extra possession with an offensive rebound and found junior forward TJ Brown on the perimeter for another three-pointer 8:51 into the game which extended Newberry's lead to 23-12, the largest margin for the Wolves all night.
 
Lenoir-Rhyne went on a 11-1 run spanning 3:37. McCollum subbed out in the middle of Lenoir-Rhyne's run. When he reentered the game at the 8:42 mark, his team only led 25-24. He quickly got back on the scoreboard with another three, putting Newberry up 27-24. The Wolves shot 60% from deep over the first 12:55 of the game. McCollum's three was the sixth made three-pointer of the half, but the Wolves went cold from deep afterwards, shooting 0-5 from behind the arc the rest of the first half.
 
Lenoir-Rhyne implemented a full court press with 6:27 left to play and took a 31-29 lead with a three-pointer 34 seconds later, marking their first advantage in over ten minutes. Senior guard Marcus Ford split two defenders and drove to the hoop for a layup with 3:16 to play as the Bears led 36-31.
 
Despite leading for 61.4% of the first half and forcing six turnovers, Newberry went into the locker room trailing 40-33.
 
Brown scored 13 points in the first half and opened up the second with a free throw and a left-handed driving layup 2:40 into the resumption of play. Brown was held scoreless the rest of the half and finished with 16 points on 3-9 (33.3%) shooting from three.
 
Ford scored 13 points in the second as his team tried to make a comeback. Out of a timeout with 15:33 to play, Ford made a pump fake and hit an elbow jumper, cutting the Bears lead to 42-40. The senior from Eatonton, Ga. kept using the pump fake to his advantage and made a three after the deceptive move to keep a small deficit with the Bears 48-43.
 
McCollum surpassed the 20-point mark midway through the second half with a layup as the Wolves trailed 52-45. The Bears soon built a ten-point lead with 8:50 to play and reached their largest lead of the game, 70-51, with 5:16 remaining in regulation.
 
The Wolves showed full court pressure with 4:20 to play as they tried to slow down a Bears offense that shot 50% from the floor in the second half. Ford made his second three-pointer of the game and the Wolves forced a turnover with their full court press on the ensuring possession. Newberry did not capitalize off the turnover, as sophomore guard Tai Giger missed a three.

In the following two Wolves scoring opportunities, Giger tallied five points by making three free throws after being fouled behind the line and driving through the lane for a layup. After Giger's scoring run, Newberry trailed 73-64 with 1:50 remaining.
 
Ford finished with 15 points after making a three-pointer and two free throws to close out the final minute of play, but Lenoir-Rhyne won 81-70 and moved onto the semifinals on Mar. 4.
 
FAST FACTS

• The Wolves lost their first home game to Lenoir-Rhyne since Feb. 7, 2009, and their first playoff game in program history against the Bears.
• McCollum (25 points), Brown (16 points), and Ford (15 points) finished in double figures. Newberry is 8-2 on the season when three players score ten or more points.
• McCollum surpassed the 20-point mark for the eight time this year.
• Newberry shot 16-20 (80%) from the free throw line, reaching 80% in a game for the seventh time this season.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Wolves await the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday, Mar. 7 at 10:30 p.m. to see if they earn a spot in the NCAA Division-II National Tournament.