Preview: Newton Eagles vs. Pollok Central Bulldogs
Newton is 1-9 against Pollok Central since February of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Newton Eagles will be playing at home against the Pollok Central Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Newton came into Friday's matchup having lost 12 straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They managed a 47-42 win over Pineywoods Community Academy two weeks ago. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest win Newton has managed all season.
Meanwhile, Pollok Central was able to grind out a solid victory over Pineywoods Community Academy on Tuesday, taking the game 48-35. Given Pollok Central's advantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 453rd, while Pineywoods Community Academy is ranked 1224th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Wyatt Graham, who scored 15 points along with six steals. He continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Dillan Hatcher was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with five rebounds.
Newton's victory ended a ten-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 1-7. As for Pollok Central, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won nine of their last ten contests, which provided a nice bump to their 23-8 record this season.
Newton suffered a grim 58-34 defeat to Pollok Central when the teams last played back in January. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Graham, who scored 13 points along with five rebounds and four steals. Now that Newton knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
