EMORY, Va. – Scoring over 90 points for the third time in four games, the Newberry College men's basketball team earned its second win in a row and first on the road this season over Emory & Henry on Saturday afternoon, 95-84.
Devario Sheppard tied his career-high with 24 points, 20 of which came in a hot-shooting second half where he made 9 of 15 from the field with a pair of 3-pointers.
Malik Joseph was the go-to guy in the first half as he scored 16 of his 22 points in the first 20 minutes. For the game, Joseph shot 9 of 16 and tied a career-best with four made 3s.
James Lovorn scored 14 and added six assists, and
Booker Cusaac and
Drake Downs both had 10 points to give Newberry (5-13, 4-7 SAC) five in double figures. Downs also had seven rebounds and a career-high six assists.
The Wolves and Wasps (4-15, 1-10) played a fast-paced game early with the score 16-15 Emory & Henry at the first media timeout with 14:40 left in the opening half.
A 10-2 Newberry run brought it to 25-18 by the next media timeout five minutes later after
Shane Hawkins drilled his first of two from long range with 10 minutes remaining.
Lovorn's 3 extended the Wolves' lead to eight, 33-25, before E&H tallied six straight points to bring it within two at the 6-minute mark. The Scarlet and Gray outscored the Wasps 17-12 the rest of the half to take a 50-43 lead into the locker room.
Newberry shot 52.8% from the field in the opening half (19 of 36) and made 7 of 11 3s (63.6%).
Joseph got the Wolves off and running with another make from long distance just 13 seconds into the second half to raise the Newberry lead to 10, a lead that held steady with the score 61-53 at the media timeout with 15:32 to play.
Emory & Henry trimmed the deficit to five, 63-58, but the Wolves responded with seven unanswered points to restore a 12-point lead, the largest of the game to that point for either side.
The Wasps didn't go away quietly, however, making it a 71-70 game thanks to a 12-1 surge before Newberry responded in kind with its own 9-2 run to make it 80-72 with 6:21 left.
That lead grew to a game-high 15, 93-78, after Sheppard went on his own 7-0 binge capped off by a 3-pointer to put the game on ice.
The Wolves shot 50.7% on the day (36 for 71) and made a season-high 13 3-pointers. Newberry also took tremendous care of the ball, turning it over only three times while dishing out 22 assists for the second straight game. Down low, the Wolves dominated the Wasps 40-26.
Newberry returns to action on Wednesday night (Jan. 31) on the road against Anderson. Tipoff is slated for 7:30.
