Memorial and Newton Falls are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2019, but not for long. The Memorial Red Devils will head out on the road to take on the Newton Falls Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Tuesday, Memorial beat Liberty 55-45. Given Memorial's advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 309th, while Liberty is ranked 720th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Memorial's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Teyon Harris, who scored 19 points, and David Moore, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and ten rebounds. Moore continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played.
Meanwhile, Newton Falls had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 15.5 points), and they went ahead and made it seven on Tuesday. They claimed a resounding 66-37 win over Champion at home. That looming 66-37 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Newton Falls yet this season.
Cameron Huff and Jabriel Rufai were among the main playmakers for Newton Falls as the former scored 21 points along with six rebounds and the latter scored 21 points along with seven blocks and six rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Huff has scored all season. Landon Mcgregor was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with eight rebounds and five assists.
Memorial's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-4. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.5 points per game. As for Newton Falls, their victory bumped their record up to 9-4.
Friday's match is shaping up to be a scrappy match: Memorial have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 29.8 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Newton Falls, though, as they've been averaging only 33.5 rebounds per game. Given Memorial's sizeable advantage in that area, Newton Falls will need to find a way to close that gap.
Memorial beat Newton Falls 47-40 in their previous matchup back in December of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Memorial since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
