The Clinton Red Devils have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five matches by 22 points or more this season. They breezed by Newberry on the road to the tune of 52-16. Given Clinton's advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 70th, while Newberry is ranked 220th), the result on Wednesday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Leading Clinton to victory were Bryanna Belton and Mylayja Thompson. Belton scored 13 points along with six rebounds and four steals, while Thompson scored 13 points along with five steals. Thompson has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last five times she's played. Another player making a difference was Ry'Daijia Mars, who scored ten points.
Newberry's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Faith Grey, who scored six points.
Clinton's win bumped their record up to 9-5. As for Newberry, they now have a losing record at 5-6.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Clinton will take on Union County at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Union County comes in on a streak of failing to score more than 25 points in their last four games, a trend the team is of course eager to reverse. As for Newberry, they will stay at home for another game and welcome Fairfield Central at 6:00 p.m. on January 5th. Fairfield Central is hoping to put an end to a three-game streak of away losses.
