NEWBERRY — A mere two days ago, the Newberry Wolves (6-11, 2-8 SAC) went into the halftime break with a double-digit lead over conference foe Tusculum. When all was said and done, the Wolves had suffered a disappointing overtime loss, allowing the Pioneers to crawl back into the game and claim the win.
Tonight, the Wolves set the tone in the first half, shooting 42 percent from the floor en route to a 55-37 lead. Just two days removed from allowing a game they’d dominated early to slip away, the Wolves faced an extremely similar situation.
But it was a different night, and a different Wolves team that came out of the locker room in the second half.
Behind the sharpshooting efforts of Luke Gibson, Tai Giger, Nilous Hodge Jr. and Josiah Coatie, who combined to hit 17 of Newberry’s program-record 22 three-pointers, the Wolves obliterated the visiting Coker Cobras (3-14, 1-9 SAC) by a score of 113-90, snapping a five-game losing skid.
Both teams opened the game locked in a back and forth affair, with the lead never exceeding more than six points for either side through the first 15 minutes; however, a jumper from Giger would help start a 21-6 run that would blow the game wide open, allowing the Wolves to waltz into the locker room with a comfortable 18-point lead.
With the game seemingly in control, Newberry could have easily laid back and taken it easy, but thanks to the aforementioned matchup with Tusculum, this team knew better.
Instead, Newberry took the court for the second half with its foot firmly planted on the gas pedal, unleashing a barrage of three-point haymakers to knock Coker out cold.
Truly, the Wolves’ unbelievable effort from beyond the arc was the story of the night. Newberry finished the night shooting a scintillating 22-41 from long range, meaning they were even more efficient from deep (53.7 percent) than from two-point range (50 percent).
The Wolves ended the night with 113 points thanks to a season-high seven players breaching the double-digit threshold.
Giger led the way for the Wolves with a career-high 23 points after shooting 9-13 from the floor in just 19 minutes. The freshman added two rebounds and four assists to his total for the night.
Omari Wilson followed with 18 points, while Coatie (15p), Hodge Jr, (12p), Gibson (12p), Marshall Lange (11p) and Olufemi Boko (10p) scored in double-digits as well, helping the Wolves to a 51.9 percent shooting night.