The Newberry College men’s and women’s basketball teams will celebrate their senior night tonight when they host Brevard.

Game time for the women’s game is 6 p.m. at Eleazer Arena, followed by the men’s game at approximately 8 p.m.

NC men lead nation in blocks per game for seventh consecutive week

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Newberry College men’s basketball team leads NCAA Division II in blocked shots per game for the seventh straight week according to this week’s national statistical rankings. The scarlet and gray are in the top-20 nationally in three categories.

Newberry has blocked 170 shots in 25 games this season, for an average of 6.8 blocks per game. The scarlet and gray have a 0.6 block-per-game lead over second-place as the University of South Dakota is blocking 6.2 shots per game. West Virginia State University ranks third at 5.9 blocks per contest.

Individually, junior forward Kendrick Johnson (Orangeburg) has moved up one spot to third in the nation in blocked shots per game at 3.4 swats per game. Matthew Rogers of Southwest Baptist University (Mo.) leads the country with 3.9 blocks per game, while Rashaad Singleton of Florida Southern College is blocking 3.6 shots each contest.

Defensively, Newberry is holding its opponents to 39.5 percent shooting from the floor, which is 14th best in the nation. Adelphi University leads Division II at 37.4 percent. Newberry’s foes are only connecting on 29.8 percent of three-point attempts, which is 16th in Division II.

Newberry (18-7, 8-6 SAC) continues its push for a regional berth tonight at 8 p.m. against Brevard in Eleazer Arena. Newberry is ranked seventh in the Southeast Region with two games remaining in the regular season. New regional rankings will be released prior to today’s game.

Men’s golf takes fourth place at Southbridge Pirate Invitational

SAVANNAH, Ga. - The Newberry College men’s golf team finished in fourth place after the third and final round of the Southbridge Pirate Invitational, hosted by Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Ga. on Monday and Tuesday.

The scarlet and gray shot a two-day total of 901 (295-302-304) in 54 holes at the par-72, 6,922-yard Southbridge Golf Club. Newberry finished the tournament 37-over par and just six strokes back of the tournament champions.

Lander University and Valdosta State University tied for tournament championship with each squad shooting an 895 team score, 31-over par.

Individually for Newberry, sophomore Daniel Stanley (Inman) shot a 214 (71-73-70, -2) and completed the tournament in second place.

Freshman Matthew Campbell (Rome, N.Y.) completed play in 17th-place after a three-round score of 228 (73-79-76, +12). Sophomore Ben Lown (North Augusta) and Stephen Holmes (Chapin) tied for 22nd with each notching a 231, 15-over par. Lown churned out a first-round 72 followed by an 80 and 79 in rounds two and three. Holmes went 70-73-79 for the tournament.

Junior Brandon Burnside (North Augusta) finished the tournament in 45th place with a 238 (80-77-81, +22).

The individual tournament champion was Brent Witcher. The All-American shot a 207 (69-70-68, -9). Newberry will next be in action on March 1-3 in Salisbury, N.C. at The Richard Rendleman Invitational.

Hammond and Huckestein earn SAC Player of the Week honors

Newberry College second baseman Kat Hammond (Irmo) and pitcher Amanda Huckestein (Port Charlotte, Fla.) have been named South Atlantic Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week, league officials announced yesterday.

Hammond led Newberry to a 6-0 week, while batting .571 with 12 hits in 21 at-bats. The senior belted three home runs, a pair of doubles, and a triple as her team swept three doubleheaders. In all, she finished with 13 RBIs and five runs scored.

In a 9-2 win against Coker College, Hammond went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, and four RBIs.

Huckestein went 3-0 on the week for Newberry pitching three complete games, including a shutout victory over North Greenville. The Port Charlotte, Fla. native pitched 22 innings and allowed only two earned runs, while striking out 20.

Courtesy of Newberry College Sports Information