HICKORY, N.C. – For the first time since 2014, the Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Basketball Team will host a South Atlantic Conference Quarterfinal game as the Newberry Wolves visit Shuford Gym on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Bears earned the No. 4 seed in the tournament with Newberry garnering the No. 5 seed.
In her second season at the helm, Head Coach
Cameron Sealey is no stranger to the SAC Tournament. Sealey was a member of two Regular Season SAC Championship teams and one SAC Championship Tournament team as a player at LR and looks for her first on the sidelines. The journey would start with a win tomorrow and moving on to Furman, the host of the Semifinal and Final of the SAC Tournament.
"Some of my best memories came when we got to cut down the nets at the conference tournament," said Sealey. "I would love to know that we could get back to Furman. It would be my first time as the coach at LR. If we can get there it would be a dream come true for me to do it at my alma mater."
On Wednesday, the Bears will host Newberry for round three of the head-to-head matchup this season. In game one, the Bears ran out to an 11-0 lead but the Wolves spoiled LR's home opener with a 75-68 victory. The two teams matched up again on Feb. 6 with the Bears grabbing a 69-63 win despite being down a pair of starters due to sickness.
"I think it will come down to the toughness," said Sealey of tomorrow's matchup. "They have some really good players and I think we have some really good players. At the end of the day, we both match up really well in all statistical categories. So it could come down to who gets the 50/50 balls and who is going to be mentally tough enough to play at gear five every single possession."
Newberry won its first nine games of the season and ranked inside the Top-25 earlier this year but ended 16-11 overall and .500 in league play. Meg Essex is the conference's third-leading rebounder and fourth-leading scorer at 8.5 rebounds and 16.7 points per night.
The Bears will counter with a senior duo that has etched their names in the record books.
Madi Suddreth is ninth in the all-time scoring list and
Kendall Toineeta ranks fifth all-time in assists. Third-leading scorer
Madeline Hardy averages a shade under 10 points per game and has scored in double digits in eight of her past 10 games.
A spot in the semifinals is up for grabs and a date with the winner of Anderson vs. Catawba. The semifinals will be played on Saturday with the final set for Sunday.
