COVINGTON, Ga. — The boys and girls basketball squads at Newton increased their winning streaks with a Tuesday night sweep of Region 4-AAAAAAA foe Brookwood Broncos.
The Lady Rams fought off a late comeback to win 54-42 before the Newton boys team won in a 82-49 rout of the Broncos.
Lady Rams finish another close game
The Lady Rams stopped the late push from the Lady Broncos to win their third consecutive game on Tuesday.
Along with keeping their streak alive, the 12-point victory kept Newton at 2-0 in Region 4-AAAAAAA play.
Early in the contest, the Lady Rams took a commanding lead due to their shooting.
Senior Sanaa Tripp and freshman Mya Perry were two of Newton’s players who did the most damage to Brookwood in the first half.
After the game, Newton head coach Jawan Bailey referenced his team’s shooting and how it compared to earlier in the year.
“We shot the ball really well [tonight],” Bailey said. “That has been our thorn early on in the year. I think we have been doing a good job of moving the basketball all season, we just have not been hitting shots. Now we are hitting the shots so we have to figure out how to act when we hit those shots.”
A 15-2 first quarter advantage turned into a 37-17 lead going into halftime as the Lady Rams seemed to have the game well in hand.
However, Newton found itself in another close game by the time the fourth quarter began.
The third frame was the best for the Lady Broncos. They created points while also slowing down the Lady Rams when they had the ball.
At the four-minute mark of the final frame, Brookwood pulled to within four points for the first time since the first quarter.
With their backs against the wall, it was the freshman that came through as Perry knocked down a three-pointer to go along with a pair of free throws to put the game away for Newton.
Though the Lady Rams left with the victory, Bailey is still looking for the team to play a complete four-quarter game.
“I think we were too high too early,” Bailey said. “We had a really good first quarter and a decent second quarter, but we got way too high in terms of our emotions when we still had two more quarters to play. I told them [in the locker room] that they have to be even keel, even when we are playing extremely well. [It is about] understanding that it is a long game.”
In the score book, Perry led the way with 17 points while Tripp and Jazmine Flournoy finished with nine points each.
The win moves the Lady Rams to 9-7 on the year with an unblemished record in region play. Newton will head on the road for a region matchup with Archer on Friday, Jan. 12.
Newton wins handily to continue strong stretch
The Rams captured the 33-point win over Brookwood on Tuesday in a game that went Newton’s way from the beginning.
Head coach Barry Browner had a glowing review of how his offense performed and how they were able to use almost every player on the bench.
“They were just clicking. We did a good job moving the basketball and making sure guys were getting everyone involved,” Browner said. “That is what this team is built on. Our bench is so deep, it was about getting those guys involved and getting them some exposure.”
By the end of the opening frame, Newton led 18-11 as it had early success shooting the ball and getting to the rim.
The second quarter began in Brookwood’s favor. It closed the lead down to 22-17.
After the Broncos pulled the score down to 22-21 on a four-point play from Caden Jackson, the Rams went on a run that gave them all the separation they needed.
A pair of three pointers from junior Tim Prather set the tone before sophomore Bryce Jackson sent the game into halftime with a corner three-pointer of his own.
Though the Rams went into the break with good momentum and a 41-27 lead, their third quarter performance would end up being their best of the day.
A slam dunk from Jordan Green kicked off a 30-point frame for Newton.
Prather knocked down another three-pointer for the Rams in the frame.
Following the game, Browner spoke about Prather and how the junior has taken a significant step up.
“Tim has come a long way,” Browner said. “He really works on his game so much. He comes in and works hard and watches a lot of film. We have seen his growth from last year to this year. He has become a leader for us.”
As the fourth quarter carried on, Newton began to separate even more.
Dunks from Green, Zack Harden Jr. and RJ Wilson capped off the 33-point win.
Newton’s 82 points marks its second-highest scoring total of the 2023-24 season.
Prather led the Rams in scoring with 14 points. Green and Jackson were right behind with 12 points apiece.
The win is the fourth straight victory for Newton as it sits at 12-2 on the year with a 2-0 record in region play. Browner and the Rams will go on the road to Archer Friday, Jan. 12.
