Newton had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They strolled past the Paulding County Patriots with points to spare on Wednesday, taking the game 59-45. Given the Rams' advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 12th in Georgia, while the Patriots are ranked 80th in Georgia), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Despite the defeat, Paulding County saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Hope Johnson posted 12 points along with seven boards and six steals. Another player making a difference was Alexus Wilson, who had 13 points and five rebounds.
Newton has been performing well recently as they've won nine of their last 11 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 21-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.8 points over those games. Paulding County dropped their record down to 20-9 with the loss, which was their third straight on the road.
Newton didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 59-49 victory against Norcross on the 21st. Paulding County does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
