Preview: Newton Eagles vs. Dieterich Movin Maroons
The Newton Eagles will be home for the holidays to greet the Dieterich Movin Maroons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Dieterich took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Newton, who comes in off a win.
Last Tuesday, Newton strolled past Charleston with points to spare, taking the game 66-48. Given Newton's advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 121st, while Charleston is ranked 278th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Dieterich has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They might have been a little too into the holiday spirit, gifting Lawrenceville an easy 74-50 win. Dieterich found out winning isn't easy when you're outrebounded 18 to ten on offense.
The losing side was boosted by Caleb Gephart, who scored 19 points along with five rebounds and four blocks. He scored a full 38% of Dieterich's points, the eighth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Lucas Westendorf was another key contributor, scoring 14 points.
Newton's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-3. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.7 points per game. As for Dieterich, their defeat ended a four-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 6-3.
Everything came up roses for Newton against Dieterich in their previous meeting back in November of 2021 as the squad secured a 76-41 win. With Newton ahead 39-19 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.
