The Newton Falls Tigers came tearing into Friday's contest with eight straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 16.3 points) and they left with even more momentum. They secured a 57-51 W over Liberty. Given Newton Falls' advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 336th, while the Leopards are ranked 753rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Newton Falls' victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Carson Howard, who scored 22 points along with three steals. Jabriel Rufai was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 14 points and 12 rebounds.
When it comes to explaining why Liberty lost, one person who can't be blamed is Evan Bates. Despite the final result, he scored 25 points along with four steals. Bates hasn't dropped below 18 points for eight straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Luke Bates, who scored nine points.
Newton Falls' victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-4. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.0 points per game. As for Liberty, they are on a five-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 3-13.
Newton Falls will head out on the road to challenge the Rebels at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Hopefully Crestview focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 18 on Friday. As for Liberty, they won't have much time to rest: their next match is against the Cowboys at 2:30 p.m. on January 27th. Chaney has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 206 points over their last three contests.
