NEWBERRY — The 25th-ranked Newberry women’s basketball team (11-1, 5-0 SAC) picked up its fifth consecutive South Atlantic Conference victory on Wednesday evening at Eleazer Arena, defeating the Queens Royals (5-7, 0-6 SAC) by a final score of 89-82.
Meg Essex recorded her fifth double-double of the season as the 6-3 center put up 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field and pulled down 10 boards. The senior also went 7-of-8 from the free throw line and blocked four shots.
Shelby Britten stayed hot, knocking down five three pointers and totaling 24 points. Britten also dished out seven assists, grabbed five rebounds and recorded a steal.
Kelsey McDermott was dominant on the offensive glass as the junior recorded more offensive boards (six) than defensive (five) on her way to recording a career-best 11 total rebounds in the contest.
McDermott’s five offensive boards in the first quarter gave way to 10 second chance points where the Wolves amounted an eight-point advantage at the end of the beginning period.
Newberry maintained a five-point lead at the end of halftime and nearly had three players in double-digits as Britten and Essex each recorded 11 and 12 points respectively while Regan McCarty had nine on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting from long range.
The Royals ended up taking the lead after a three pointer with 7:06 remaining in the game, but a 10-point swing in the Wolves favor including back-to-back 3-pointers from McDermott and Britten extended Newberry’s breathing room and sealed the victory.
Newberry will host No. 14 Anderson at Eleazer Arena this Saturday. Tip-off between the two ranked teams will be at 2 p.m. Fans are encouraged to come out early and show their support for the team.
Postgame Notes:
• Essex moved into third place on the career scoring list with 1,459 points.
• Britten has scored 20 or more points in five straight games.
• This is the fifth-time this season Britten has knocked down at least five 3-pointers.
• McDermott recorded career-highs in offensive (six), defensive (five) and total rebounds (11).
• The Wolves have shot 70 percent or better from the free throw line in 10 straight games.