
Looking at their schedule, the Newberry Panthers knew their game against Gainesville in the final week of the regular season might be the toughest game on their slate.
But when that game finally came on Tuesday, the host Panthers made sure there was no doubt who was better.
Newberry never trailed and remained unbeaten as they hammered the Hurricanes 74-42, playing with a running clock most of the fourth quarter.
Senior Jacob Green scored 16 of his 18 points in the first half to help improve Newberry to 20-0. Green hit two 3-pointers and scored 10 points in the opening period as the Panthers led 21-11 at the end of the quarter.
“I was really hoping for Jacob to have a big night tonight shooting the ball,” Newberry coach Patrick Green said. “He had a college coach here watching him play so I was happy he played this kind of game.”
Newberry forced Gainesville (17-8) turnovers and dominated inside on the offensive boards in the second period. Senior Logan McCloud added nine first-half points as the Panthers pulled away from the Hurricanes, leading 40-19 at the half. McCloud finished with 10 points.
“Our goal was to see if we could handle their size,” Patrick Green said. “We thought they would give us a lot of fits on the boards with their trees down there, so I challenged our guys to take the ball down there and they accepted the challenge.”
The third period was more of the same. Senior sharp-shooter Henry Matthias knocked down a 3-pointer and scored five of his 14 points in the quarter. Newberry went on a 10-2 run to start the third quarter to blow the game wide open with a 50-21 lead.
The Panthers settled for a 59-34 advantage heading to the final period.
“The last three games things have just been clicking,” Patrick Green said. “With all the back-to-back games we haven’t really been able to practice. We just let the guys rest their legs and rest their minds and come out and play and they were ready.”
Newberry went on a 10-0 run in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, getting to a running clock with a 69-34 edge.
The Panthers host P.K. Yonge on Thursday with a chance to finish a perfect regular season.
“From what I’ve been told it’s never been done before,” Patrick Green said. “That would be exciting to be able to that.”