It was the 18th win against only six losses for coach John Duncan’s team with two regular-season games and at least one South Atlantic Conference Tournament appearance left.

Catawba also tightened its grip on second place in the SACchase with a 10-4 record.

The loss dropped Newberry to 6-18 overall and 3-11 in the SAC.

Buckland led the hot-shooting Lady Indians with 18 points. She was 9-for-11 from the field in 21 minutes of action.

Brice, who was 5-for-7 from the field with two 3-pointers and 5-for-6 at the foul line, had 17, and all of them came in the first half when the Lady Indians roared away to a 46-17 lead.

“We did some really good shooting,” said coach Duncan after the Lady Indians made 55.6 percent (35-for-63) from the floor. They were 6-for-17 from 3-point range.

“We had a good game,”Duncan added. “We did a good job at scoring.” It was Catawba’s highest single- game scoring total of the season, topping the 82 points the Lady Indians scored against Lenoir-Rhyne in a recent game.

Brice sparked the Lady Indians to a quick 12-5 lead. Then they went on a 17-0 roll to open up a 29-5 advantage. Buckland had six points and Vuokko Timola contributed five in the rally that broke the game wide open.

Catawba opened up a 35-point lead at 55-20 in the opening minutes of the second half.

The Lady Indians stretched the advantage to 43 points on three occasions in the last half.

Catawba’s tight defense held the South Carolinians to eight field goals in the first half and 12 in the last half. Newberry finished 20-for-47 from the field.

The win gave Catawba a sweep over Newberry this season. The Lady Indians claimed an 82-66 win earlier.

The Catawba women will invade Lenoir-Rhyne Wednesday night for their final road trip of the regular season.

NEWBERRY (50) —Smith 6, Beauford 8, Johnson 8, Ergle 9, Rosenborough 8, Cook 8, Cushman 2, Crank, Glandon 1, Lynch, O’Shields.

CATAWBA (83) — Buckland 18, Norred 4, Powell 6, Wooten 8, Brice 17, Timola 5, Puolitaival, Stockton 3, Borders 6, Allen 6, Mitchell 2, Hall 4, Cartwright 2, Austin 2.

Newberry 17 33 — 50