Basketball Recap: Sara Sain Key Part of a Team Effort in Red Devils Win

Newton-Conover won the last time they faced Lincolnton and things went their way on Tuesday too. The Newton-Conover Red Devils took down the Lincolnton Wolves 57-42. Given the Red Devils' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 74th, while the Wolves are ranked 259th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Newton-Conover's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Sara Sain led the charge by dropping a double-double on 11 points and 19 boards. That's the most rebounds Sain has posted since back in January of 2024. Another player making a difference was Lea Boyens, who went 5 for 9 on her way to 16 points and seven assists.

Newton-Conover smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 15 offensive boards in four consecutive matchups.

Loss or not, Lincolnton got some senior leadership from Sarah Rhyne and Chelsea De Los Santos. Rhyne posted 11 points and eight boards, while De Los Santos scored 13 points. Those 13 points set a new season-high mark for De Los Santos. Curmiya Tillman was another key player, putting up eight points.

Newton-Conover is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 14-3 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.2 points per game. As for Lincolnton, their defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 11-8.

Newton-Conover will challenge East Burke at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. East Burke will roll in looking for their eighth straight win, something Newton-Conover surely won't give up without a fight. As for Lincolnton, they will head out to take on Bandys at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.