AMERICUS, GA. – The Newberry College women's basketball team (0-1) dropped their regular season opener against the Georgia Southwestern State Hurricanes 50-76.
The Wolves offense got off to a slow start, allowing the Hurricanes to go on a 19-0 run through the first six minutes of the game before redshirt senior center
Tyla Stolberg (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) scored the Wolves' first points of the contest off of a layup off of an assist by senior guard
Giulia Bongiorno (Rome, Italy). With 41 seconds remaining in the first quarter, junior guard
Payton Cronen (Louisville, Ky.) netted her first three-point shot of the contest, bringing the Wolves to seven points in the contest. Leading scorer from the Wolves' exhibition contest against Davidson, junior guard
Dyani Burke (Columbia, S.C.) netted her first three-point shot of the contest with eight seconds remaining in the opening corner, cutting the Hurricanes' lead to 15 points at the break.
Ten seconds into the second quarter redshirt senior center
Ericka Wiseley (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) recorded the Wolves' first steal of the contest, but the team was unable to convert the steal into points. Wiseley opened the second-quarter scoring just over 70 seconds later by making a layup. The Hurricanes followed with a 16-4 run to end the fist half and the Wolves entered the locker room with a 16-42 deficit.
The Wolves came out strong in the third quarter, starting with a pair of layups, one from Bongiorno and one from Wiseley, to open the second half scoring before the Hurricanes were able to net a basket of their own. The Wolves continued their strong offensive run of the third quarter and outscored the Hurricanes 23-18 in the period. Despite the strong showing, the Wolves entered the final quarter down 21 points, 39-60.
Through the first two-and-a-half minutes of the fourth quarter, the Wolves cut into the Hurricanes' lead. Georgia Southwestern picked up the offensive production over the final three-and-a-half minutes before sophomore center
April Rummery-Lamb (Darwin, NT, Australia) netted a layup. The Hurricanes went on another run until Stolberg knocked down a three-pointer with 3:16 remaining. The Wolves scored another three points before the final buzzer, but the Hurricanes' lead was enough to outlast Newberry. The Wolves fell 50-76.
Payton Cronen led Newberry with 12 points, all coming from three-point shots. She also recorded three rebounds and an assist.
Dyani Burke followed Cronen with nine points and three rebounds.
Holly Davies (Camberly, Surrey, England) and Mercer Roberts (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) both led the team with three assists each.
The Wolves have a quick turnaround for their next game as they play Columbus State tomorrow, Nov. 12, at noon in Americus, Ga. as part of the conference challenge.
