The Newton Rams basketball team got back into the win column Saturday evening, after falling to region opponent Luella on Friday night.
Newton traveled to county-border rival Salem, defeating the Seminoles 66-44 in their second matchup of the season. Newton soundly defeated the Seminoles 72-45 in its second game of the season.
Rams’ senior guard Jalen Glover stole the show at Salem, scoring 24 points in the win. Glover dazzled the crowd with his highlight plays, which included an alley-oop dunk and six 3-pointers.
Darvin Jones added 12 points, and point guard D.J. Hill dished out nine assists.
“My game plan was to just play with my team,” Glover said. “I felt the adrenaline running.”
Salem struggled offensively at times, settling for outside shots too often. Newton’s defensive pressure created a little trouble for the Seminoles, but Austin Samuel finished with 13 points, while Kristopher Bridgeman added 12, connecting on four 3-point attempts.
“We settled way too much on outside shots, instead of attacking the basket which our offense is predicated on,” Salem coach Noah Harrell said.
Newton took control of the game from the opening tip, starting off with a 15-5 run. The Rams’ defense led the way, holding Salem to only 11 points in the first quarter.
Offensively, the Rams cooled off in the second quarter, but their defense held tight. Salem tallied five points in the quarter, helping Newton to a double-digit halftime lead.
Salem came out in the second half ready to make a game of it. The Seminoles started off the third quarter on an 8-0 run and cut the lead to five in the middle of the third quarter. But, Newton guards Glover and Caylen Gooch hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the game out of reach.
Newton went on a 22-7 run that expanded over the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth. After its run, Newton didn’t look back, as its lead reached as many as 22 points.
“I hope we can continue to improve and get better,” Newton coach Rick Rasmussen said. “We have a tough region, and we want to compete for a region championship.”
Newton returns to action Wednesday at home against Rockdale County at 7:30 p.m.
