The Newton boys varsity basketball team dropped its first game of the season Tuesday night on the road, falling 55-46 to Lovejoy in region play.

The loss drops the Rams to 4-1 overall, with a 1-1 mark in region play.

The 46-point mark was the second lowest for the Rams this season, eight points behind a 38-36 win over Paulding County on Nov. 29.

D.J. Hill led the Rams with 19 points, while Jalen Glover added 16 for Newton.

Lady Rams victorious
The Newton girls varsity basketball team remained perfect in region play, defeating Lovejoy 62-44 in a road contest Tuesday night.

The win pushes the Lady Rams to 3-3 overall, with a 2-0 mark in region play.

Newton jumped out to a 14-4 lead in the first quarter before clinching the contest with a 20-9 fourth-quarter performance.

Precious Price scored 18 points and dished out eight assists in the win.

“It was really good getting a region win on the road,” Newton coach Tiffani Johnson said. “We’re 2-0 in the region now and I feel like we have some good momentum going.”

Johnson said that her team’s participation in the 2013 Norcross Lady Blue Tip-Off is already paying dividends.

“I think playing in the tournament has definitely helped already,” she said. “We’ve broken the film down from those games, and we have been able to pinpoint some major weaknesses. We’re working on those and are working to get better.”

With a game slated for this Saturday, Johnson said she hopes the home crowd will continue to be a factor.

“Weekend games always depend on your opponent,” Johnson said. “During a Friday game, you’re at school, all the kids are talking about it and they get hyped up. I’m interested in seeing what our crowd will be like, because it has been amazing this season."

The boys and the girls teams return to action this Saturday when they host Cedar Shoals. The girls varsity contest will begin at 4 p.m.