Basketball Recap: Griffin Starks Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Boyd County

Newport proved they can win big last Saturday (they won by 32) and on Sunday they proved they can win the close ones too. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Boyd County Lions, sneaking past 62-60. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Wildcats have posted since March 4th.

Newport's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Griffin Starks led the charge by dropping a double-double on 17 points and 12 boards. Starks is on a roll when it comes to boards, as he's now pulled down nine or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Amontae Lowe, who went 7 of 16 on his way to 16 points in addition to six assists and five boards.

Newport now has a winning record of 7-6. As for Boyd County, they dropped their record down to 5-7 with the loss, which was their third straight on the road.

Newport and Boyd County should be looking forward to their upcoming games as both have a sizable advantage in the MaxPreps Kentucky Rankings. Newport (ranked 55th) will meet Woodward (ranked 583rd) at 7:30 p.m. on January 7, 2025. Similarly, Boyd County (ranked 85th) will meet Bath County (ranked 232nd) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.