Seph Hatley looked out on the floor at Catawba College’s players, then looked at his Newberry players, then looked out at the Indians once again.
His dilemma was the same one facing every South Atlantic Conference coach this season when he plays Catawba.
Who you gonna guard?
No team, especially Hatley’s — who came into the first round of the SAC Tournament Tuesday night in Goodman Gym with a 5-21 record — has found the answer.
Catawba’s easy 80-50 victory proved that it is unlikely any club will.
“They have so much depth that they just wear you down,” sighed Hatley, whose Indians lost their 15th straight league game this season. “Catawba is really hungry. It’s really clicking for them right now.”
No. 1-seeded Catawba now advances to Friday’s 2 p.m. semifinal against Lenoir-Rhyne, a 69-65 winner over Mars Hill, at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory.
Catawba is clicking at exactly the right time. The win was the 23rd in 27 games and practically assures John Duncan’s team of an invitation to the national playoffs, whether it wins the tournament or not. Coming in, Catawba was ranked second in the region, trailing only Columbus State, the No. 1 team in the nation.
“I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch,” Duncan said, “but unless something strange happens, this should get us to regional play.”
“Strange” would be Catawba not having at least 10 players contributing. That’s how many scored against Newberry. Eight different Indians are averaging at least six points per game.
“That’s the scary thing about this team,” smiled Duncan. “We’ve got a lot of weapons. It helps with the cohesiveness that it’s spread around and that’s there’s not one superstar.”
No, there’s about 12 of them. On Tuesday, four hit double figures: Dorthell Little with 19, Donna Carr with 14, Ella Pasola with 13 and Erin Buckland with 10.
Hatley, in his second year at Newberry after assisting at Pfeiffer, let four freshmen see much of the action and Catawba took advantage of the inexperience inside. It outrebounded Newberry by a whopping 55-31 with Little and Carr combining for 25.
In fact, Hatley called a timeout 59 seconds into the game.
“In the first minute, they already had five or six shots,” he said. “They really crashed the boards and I saw that was going to be a problem.”
Still, Newberry was somehow within 37-27 at halftime after Shawanna Cook threw in a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
“It’s tough to get up and up and up,” Duncan said. “Maybe I didn’t say the right things to get them inspired. We came out a little flat-footed and weren’t as sharp. But I think it’s good to get a little scare early. It reminds you what got you there and what you need to do.”
Catawba remembered at the start of the second half, blowing open the game on a 19-4 run. Carr hit a twisting shot underneath, followed by a 10-footer and a layup. Buckland was muscling underneath, Little was grabbing every rebound in sight. Vuokka Timola was ripping the cords from 3-point land and Pasola was stopping and popping that famous lefty jumper from outside.
Pasola, a transfer from Xavier, has made a big difference this season.
“She’s probably our hardest worker,” Duncan praised. “But sometimes, I think she puts more pressure on herself than she needs to (because) of that D-I transfer label.”
The subs contributed as well. When Katrina Mitchell swished two free throws, the lead had swelled to 31, 80-49.
If Catawba can win two more games and the SAC Tournament crown, it would probably receive a first round bye in the national playoffs.
“And we’d be two wins away from Minneapolis,” Duncan said of the national championship site.
Then, somebody else besides a SAC coach would have that familiar dilemma when playing Catawba.
Who you gonna guard?
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NOTES: Catawba assisted on 18 of is 27 baskets. Lakia Brice dished out nine. ... Pasola scored nine points and Buckland eight in the first half. ... Reserve center Valerie Powell made the most of her night. In just eight minutes, the 6-2 senior grabbed six rebounds. ... Catawba hit 23 free throws to Newberry’s five. Newberry was 4-for-4 on 3-pointers in the first half.
NEWBERRY (50) — Joplin 10, Maloney 7, Crank 7, Cook 7, Tims 5, Roseborough 4, Cushman 3, Glandon 3, Smith 2, Wix 2.
CATAWBA (80) — Little 19, Carr 14, Pasola 13, Buckland 10, Timola 9, Brice 6, Puolitaival 3, Mitchell 2, Stockton 2, Powell 2..
Newberry 27 23 — 50
Catawba 37 43 — 80
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