GREENWOOD –
Quadaija Langley scored 21 points while
Cory Santoro made four 3-pointers in the first half as the Lander Bearcats ended 2022 with a 76-64 victory over Newberry in a New Year's Eve game at Horne Arena.
Lander improved to 3-7 on the season. The Wolves fell to 5-8.
Santoro joined Langley among Lander's double-figure scorers with 14 points, making four of five from behind the arc and adding three steals.
Tyasia Freeman scored 10 points for the Bearcats while
Kayla Sanders added nine points while leading Lander with eight rebounds and four assists.
Tanyia Gordon also had three steals for the Bearcats.
Holly Davies paced Newberry with 19 points. Ericka Wisely scored 11 points while leading the Wolves with seven boards and four blocked shots. Tyla Stolberg had 10 points and three blocked shots for the visitors.
There were four ties and three lead changes in the first quarter, which ended in a 17-all deadlock. Santoro had a pair of 3-pointers for the Bearcats while Davies scored eight for Newberry.
Lander broke the game open in the second period, outscoring the Wolves 22-7. Gordon opened the quarter with a steal and layup, Langley made a pair of driving layups, and Santoro hit two more 3s for a 32-19 lead with 4:32 left in the half.
Freeman and Santoro each hit a pair of free throws while
Vashae Rideout knocked down a 3-pointer as the Bearcats built a 39-24 halftime advantage.
Langley opened the second half by banking in a 3-pointer from the right wing as the shot clock was expiring, giving Lander its largest lead of the game at 42-24.
Giulia Bongiorno made two free throws, pulling the Wolves within 49-38 with five minutes left in the third. But
Jakiyah Parker's 3 pushed Lander's lead back to 14.
Langley contributed a three-point play and a driving floater in the lane as the Bearcats led 57-47 going into the final quarter.
Freeman and Sanders opened the fourth period with steals and driving layups, extending the Lander advantage to 61-47.
Langley's 3-pointer from the left wing gave the Bearcats a 64-49 lead at the eight-minute mark.
Anne Secrest scored two inside buckets in a row as Lander's advantage was 69-55 with five minutes left.
The Bearcats will return to Horne Arena on Wednesday as they host USC Aiken to open the main stretch of PBC play. That game is scheduled to tip at 5:30 PM.
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