Staff report

SALISBURY — While a South Atlantic Conference regular-season championship eluded Catawba’s women’s basketball team, the Indians hope to make up for that in the conference tournament.

The third-seeded Indians handled sixth-seeded Newberry 65-48 at Goodman Gym on Wednesday as the league tournament got under way with quarterfinal games.

It was un upset-free night. The four teams that have ruled the SAC all season — Wingate, Carson-Newman, Catawba and Anderson — moved on to Saturday’s semifinals in Greenville, S.C.

Catawba will play in the 2:30 p.m. game against second-seeded Carson-Newman. The Eagles thumped UVA Wise 86-69.

Junior guard Lyrik Thorne has been outstanding in Catawba’s stretch run and led the way again with 20 points (8-for-18 shooting) and five assists.

Janiya Downs (South Rowan) and Taisha DeShazo didn’t have high-percentage nights, but they found ways to score and combined for another 21 points.

Shemya Stanback (A.L. Brown) had five steals.

Catawba shot 37.5 percent, but made eight 3-pointers. The Indians were good at the foul line, making 15 of 20.

What Catawba does really well is defend. The Indians (23-5) had 17 steals and forced 30 turnovers. That’s why they have the record that they do.

Catawba’s strongest quarter was the first. The Indians took charge 23-10 right away by creating nine Newberry turnovers.

Newberry finished 12-16. Catawba won all three meetings.

Newberry    10    10    17   11   — 48

Catawba     23    12    13   17     — 65

CATAWBA SCORING  — Thorne 20, Downs 10, DeShazo 10, McIntosh 8, Ford 7, Wampler 5, Stanback 5.

 

Catawba men ousted

CHARLOTTE — The Queens men’s basketball team had a bad shooting night on Wednesday, but the Royals did a great job of rebounding the misses.

They collected 23 offensive rebounds and beat the Indians 78-60 in the first round of the South  Atlantic Conference Tournament.

Queens whipped Catawba on the glass 56-36 overall and the Royals overcame 36.4-percent shooting and 5-for-31 on 3-pointers.

Catawba shot 39 percent and was 5-for-22 on 3s. The Indians were still even with Queens  at the half, but they had an unusually high 17 turnovers. Taking care of the ball was usually their strength this season.

Catawba got 16 points from Caleb Robinson, 11 from Myles Washington and 10 from Michael Hueitt Jr.

Kenny Dye scored 18 for Queens.

It was a season-ender for seventh-seeded Catawba (11-16). Second-seeded Queens (26-3) continued its dominance against the Indians and moves on to the semifinals in Greenville, S.C.

Catawba   34   26   — 60

Queens     34   44   — 78

CATAWBA — C. Robinson 16, Washington 11, Hueitt 10, Lamar 7, Pelote 7, Nelson 5, Tinsley 2, Bowen 2.