The Newberry Panthers suffered their closest loss yet this season on Thursday. They fell just short of The Rock by a score of 56-53. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as Newberry came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 134th, while The Rock is ranked 442nd).
When it comes to explaining why Newberry lost, one person who can't be blamed is Sarah Beaulieu. Despite the final result, she dropped a double-double on 23 points and ten assists. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Beaulieu has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Jada Brown, who scored 22 points.
The Rock got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Stella Chigha out in front who scored 16 points along with nine rebounds and six steals. That's the first time this season that Chigha scored 15 or more points. Ruby Patterson was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with eight rebounds and five assists.
This is the second loss in a row for Newberry and nudges their season record down to 10-5. As for The Rock, their win ended a six-game drought at home and bumped them up to 2-16.
Newberry's road trip will continue as they head out to face Bronson at 6:30 p.m. on January 19th. Bronson is still on the hunt for that elusive first 'W'. As for The Rock, they will look to defend their home court on Saturday against The Villages Charter at 4:30 p.m.
