NEWBERRY, S.C. — Catawba College’s surging Indians used a red-hot shooting performance to down Newberry 77-66 in a South Atlantic Conference basketball game and reach the 20-win mark Saturday.
The visiting Indians scorched the nets by making 63.3 percent (31-for-49) from the floor. It was Catawba’s best shooting of the season.
The Indians improved to 20-4 for the season (9-3 SAC) with two games left. It marked the fourth time in five years that coach Jim Baker’s Indians have reached the 20-win mark.
The Indians struggled most of the first half in spite of making 16 of 26 shots. Catawba managed a 35-28 lead at halftime and slowly pulled way in the last half. The Indians got their biggest lead at 74-58 with 2:21 remaining in the game.
Nedzad Gusic, who sparked the Indians in the last half with 11 points, finished with a game-high 17. Brian Carter, who was forced to miss the first half with Kevin Petty for a campus incident, followed with 11. Alex Luyk, Quentin Bryant and Tevon Raikes had nine apiece.
It was the fourth straight win for Catawba, which has won six of its past seven games. Catawba trails Wingate’s nationally third-ranked Bulldogs by a half game in the SAC chase. The loss left Newberry with a 4-8 loop record and an 8-16 mark for the season.
CATAWBA (77) — Gusic 17, Luyk 9, Proctor 7, Bryant 9, Robertson, Parker 2, Parks 6, Carter 11, Petty 6, Hagaman, Raikes 9, Everett 1.
NEWBERRY (66) — Garrett 8, Horne 10, Chandler 16, Carter 9, Patton, Fair 9, Reid 9, Reese, Durham 2, Stackhouse 3, Nance 3.
Catawba 35 42 — 77
Newberry 28 38 — 66
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