Basketball Game Preview: Newton Falls Tigers vs. Garfield G-Men

The Newton Falls Tigers are taking a road trip to challenge the Garfield G-Men at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Newton Falls is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 53.8 points per game this season.

Newton Falls is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 67-65 victory over Windham on Monday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Tigers have posted against the Bombers since December 22, 2016.

Newton Falls found their leader in sophomore Phil Davis, who went 9 for 16 on his way to 26 points. Those 26 points set a new season-high mark for Davis. The team also got some help courtesy of Travis Tursack, who went 6 of 7 en route to 13 points and eight rebounds.

While Garfield didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-16), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. Couldn't have asked for a better way to wrap up 2024 than the 78-32 stomp they got against Waterloo. That 46 point margin sets a new team best for the G-Men this season.

Garfield's win came from a few key players Newton Falls will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Aidan Hill, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and ten rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Brandyn Bogucki, who made all 5 shots he took to post 14 points and three steals.

The victory made it two in a row for Newton Falls and bumps their season record up to 5-3. As for Garfield, their win bumped their record up to 7-1.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Newton Falls has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 31.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Garfield struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Newton Falls took their victory against Garfield when the teams last played back in February of 2024 by a conclusive 60-38. The rematch might be a little tougher for Newton Falls since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.