Newberry, S.C. —- The 12th-ranked Catawba College women's basketball team allowed its fewest points in a game this season, winning a 55-43 defensive battle at Newberry in South Atlantic Conference women's basketball action at Eleazer Arena.
TEAM STATS
- Newberry shot 17-for-53 (32 percent) from the floor; Catawba was 22-of-71 (31 percent) from the field
- The Catawba Indians were 7-for-36 (19 percent) from three-point range, while holding the Wolves to 3-of-16 (19 percent) from deep
- NC was 6-for-9 (67 percent) from the free throw line, while Catawba was just 4-of-10 (40 percent) at the charity stripe
- The Catawba Indians out-rebounded Newberry 47-45, leading to an 18-9 advantage in second-chance points
- The Wolves recorded eight assists to 21 turnovers; Catawba had five assists to 11 turnovers and out-scored NC 15-11 in points off turnovers
- Catawba led in points in the paint (30-28), fastbreak points (4-0) and bench points (27-10)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Lyrik Thorne led the way with 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals
- Mary Spry was a key contributor off the bench, recording eight points and seven rebounds
- Saniya Wilson also scored eight points in 13 minutes off the bench
- Sara McIntosh chipped in six points and six boards
- Janiya Downs pulled down a team-high eight rebounds
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST QUARTER
- Three straight layups from Thorne turned a tie game into a 13-7 Catawba advantage near the midway points of the opening quarter
- Wilson's layup extended Catawba's lead to 19-10 at the 1:12 mark
- McIntosh knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Catawba Indians a 21-12 lead at the end of the first quarter
SECOND QUARTER
- Catawba's defense held strong in the second, holding the Wolves at 12 points for the first four and a half minutes of the quarter
- Wilson drained a triple to put Catawba up 28-15 and force a Newberry timeout
- The Catawba Indians rode a 7-0 run into the break, leading 35-16
THIRD QUARTER
- Newberry scored the first six points of the third quarter, trimming their deficit to 13 points under the 6-minute mark
- Spry's layup returned Catawba's lead to 41-24 at the 1:18 mark
- It was the last either team would score in the quarter, where the teams combined for 14 points
FOURTH QUARTER
- Wilson's three-pointer in the opening minute pushed Catawba's lead back up to 20
- Abi Svenson buried another triple, as the Catawba Indians took a 47-26 lead just a minute later
- Sydney Gueterman got in on the long-range action, draining a three-pointer at the 4-minute mark
- Newberry ended the game on a 10-0 run, but the result was never in danger, as Catawba remains at the top of the SAC standings
UP NEXT
- Catawba faces a big test on Saturday, traveling to Anderson in a matchup of two of the top three ranked teams in the region
- Tip from the Abney Athletic Center is set for 2 p.m.
