NEWBERRY, S.C. — Lyrik Thorne scored 17 points to lead Catawba to a 56-47 first-round South Atlantic Conference tournament win at Newberry on Wednesday.

Mercedes Wampler and Keyotta Garris scored eight points each for the Indians.

Catawba shot just 38.8 percent and made only three 3-pointers, but the Indians had 11 steals and a big edge on the boards. Garris had seven rebounds.

Catawba started fast and led 16-4 after a quarter. Newberry shot 1-for-12 in the first quarter. Catawba led by as many as 16 points in the second quarter.

Catawba (23-5) will play top-seeded Anderson at noon in a Saturday semifinal in Greenville, S.C.

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Anderson won 59-57 against Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday. McKenzie Gadson (Carson) had 10 points and three blocks for Anderson.

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Bryanna Troutman (Salisbury) ended her freshman season with a strong game in Wingate’s first-round loss to Tusculum. Troutman shot 6-for-8 and had 14 points and six rebounds.

 

CATAWBA (56) — Thorne 17, Garris 8, Wampler 8, Ford 7, Hallman 5, Barnes 3, Phillips 3, Stanback 2, Bruce 2, Sawyers 1, Downs, McIntosh, Gardner, Stevenson.

NEWBERRY (47) — McDermott 10, Hall 9, Roberts 8, Brett 7, Romas 6, Kinard 5, Wiseley 2, Virgo, White, Hawkins, Petkovska.

 

Catawba   16   10  15  15   — 56

Newberry  4   11   14  18   — 47