SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Newberry College women’s basketball team fell to Armstrong State University 68-55 on Saturday afternoon in non-conference play.
Armstrong State got on the board first with a 3-pointer from B’Kiya Webb at the 8:16 mark. Newberry didn’t get on the board until the 6:31 mark when Samantha Creed hit a 3-pointer off a pass from Samara Hill.
Just 22 seconds later Creed scored again with a layup but the Pirates answered back quickly with a layup from Lexy Schoonover. Creed kept her scoring momentum up with two more 3-pointers with 3:11 left in the first quarter.
Emily Perry tied the game at 13-13 with a layup with 1:36 left. Meg Essex finished a pass from Nicola Handreck for a layup to lessen Armstrong’s lead to 16-15 going into the second quarter.
Creed gave Newberry a 17-16 lead 12 seconds into the second quarter with a 3-pointer. Kirsten Dunsmore got on the board with a layup with 8:20 to go until halftime. At the 6:59 mark Essex, Hannah Lepaio, and Perry scored one layup each within two minutes of each other.
Essex took the last three shots before halftime for Newberry. At the 2:42 mark Essex made a layup and with 1:10 left she made another layup and was fouled going up. Essex made it a three point play by making the free throw.
Going into the third quarter, the Pirates led 32-30. The first six points from the Wolves were all from free throws. Essex was fouled at 9:29 and made both, followed by Handreck who was fouled at 7:09 then was fouled at the 6:18 mark making all four.
With 5:52 left until the final quarter, Essex made a layup to help cut the Pirates lead to 41-38. In the final 14 seconds of the third quarter, Shelby Britten scored off a layup but Armstrong had a 51-44 lead.
The Wolves scored 11 points in the final quarter but it wasn’t enough to take the win from Armstrong. Essex scored the first two off a layup at the 7:57 mark followed by Creed who drained a 3-pointer two minutes later.
Creed hit another 3-pointer at the 3:43 mark before Handreck made a layup in the last two minutes of the game. The last point from Newberry came from Essex making a free throw.
For the game, Creed led the team in scoring with 19 and in steals with two. Essex finished the game with 16 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Handreck scored 10 points, grabbed six rebounds, and had four assists.
The home schedule begins with the South Atlantic Conference opener against Queens on Tuesday, November 24. The game will begin at 6 p.m.