WARDLAW — Newberry Academy took to the road last week, playing at Wardlaw and at region rival Laurens Academy. The boys won both games, defeating Wardlaw 56-48 and Laurens 39-36. The girls upended Wardlaw 52-44, but were pummeled by Laurens 54-19.
The Lady Eagles controlled the tempo and the game against Wardlaw, opening a seven-point lead at the half and cruising to a relatively comfortable win. Daja Taylor paced Newberry with 18 points, while London Huggins tallied 14 points. Other players to score for Newberry included Michelle Brown with eight points and Kathryn Wilbanks with six points. Kadence Sease added four points and Summer Harbert had two points.
The Lady Eagles struggled against a tough Laurens squad, despite holding their own at times. The third period was the breaking point as Laurens scored 21 unanswered points. Taylor managed to score 15 for Newberry. Huggins and Sarah Buford added two points each.
The Newberry boys’ team held a slim three-point lead over Wardlaw at the half, but pulled away in the third period. Matt Cole led the way for Newberry with 18 points, followed by Bennett Connelly with 11 points. Wes Huffstetter had a quiet nine points, while Anthony McLean and Payton Gardner each added eight points. Shield Sawyer scored two for the Eagles.
Against Laurens, Newberry struggled offensively all night. Part of the struggles were due to the defensive efforts of Laurens. The Eagles trailed by three points at the half, and by two at the end of the third period. Laurens extended their lead to 29-24 with 2:44 left in the third period before the Eagles went on an 11 to 2 run to retake the lead. The game was tied with less than a minute to play, but Newberry sealed the deal at the free-throw line. Huffstetter paced the Eagles with 17 points followed by Cole with 11. Gardner finished with eight points, while Jimmy Franklin added two points. McLean scored one point.
