NEWBERRY — Dave Davis, men’s basketball head coach, hosted the inaugural Newberry alumni game during homecoming week. The alumni team tallied 79 points against the Wolves’ defense.
Heading up the charge of alumni was former player Dondray Walker. A 2015 graduate, Walker spent the past season playing in Australia for the McKinnon Cougars and recently finished third out of 15 teams in the 2017 Red Bull Reign U.S. and World Finals 3-on-3 tournament. He notched 20 points in his return to Eleazer Arena.
“Dondray was the one who got this thing started, and I am so glad he did,” said Davis. “It was fun to have alumni return to Eleazer Arena, and it was good for our team to play against an experienced group of players.”
Demarkus Smith led the alumni in scoring with 33 points and 10 rebounds. Smith was named a 2015 SAC First Team All-Conference player and averaged 16.7 points per game (ppg) his senior year.
“Mark is one of our greatest success stories and I was able to share it with our guys as he was dominating us on the floor. Demarkus was a red-shirt and did not see much time his freshman year. However he learned how to work and that work led to him becoming a dominant offensive player in our league,” Davis commented.
Xavier Holmes, a 2016 graduate, looked right at home leading the alumni squad with several dunks and finishing with a team-high four blocks.
The inaugural alumni game also saw the return of Tymere Zimmerman and Brandon Hughes. Zimmerman was a 2006 graduate who was later inducted into the Newberry College Hall of Fame while Hughes went on to play professionally in Europe for a decade. Additional participants included Brandon Taylor (2016), Keith Marshall (2008), Ronell Crockett (2016), Vincent Hicklin (2017), Michael Dease (2006) and Matthew Alexander (2009).
Newberry alums and hall of fame legends Bill Scarry and Joel Derketsch made an appearance at the alumni game. Scarry and Derketsch led Newberry to its first national tournament in any sport in 1961.
“It is incredibly special to have brought alumni back on campus,” Davis said. “It is incredible to have former players loving, caring and supporting us, even 57 years later.”
The Wolves will tip-off their season in a Division I exhibition matchup against Miami on Nov. 1. The Hurricanes are currently ranked No. 12 in the nation on the USA Today Coaches Poll.