The Newton Tigers moved within one game of the Class 2A Final Four in Jackson with a 54-41 in over Baldwyn on Monday night.
But that next step is a big one as defending state champion Coahoma County will come calling on Friday night.
Newton improves to 25-7 on the season while Baldwyn finishes with a 25-7 mark.
Newton will host Coahoma County on Friday night with a trip to the Class 2A semifinals on the line. Coahoma is 28-2 on the year and the two-time defending 2A champion.
But on Monday night, it was all about the Newton defense and some unselfish play that secured the win for the Tigers.
“I felt like our kids were poised and very focused and they picked it up in the second half,” Newton coach Darin Gray said. “They had some good players and we were able to pick them up defensively and limit their two good scorers and that’s what helped us. That’s a big win for our kids. It’s a team effort. We don’t know who is going to score the points, we really don’t. It’s all about the win, it doesn’t matter who scores the points.”
Baldwyn used some sharp long-range shooting in the first period, hitting three 3-points and led 11-4 with 2:47 left in the first. But Newton scored the final four points of the period and the first four of the second to take a 12-11 lead. From there, it was back and forth as Baldwyn nailed a three in the final minute to tie the game at 20-20 at the half.
The Newton defense started clamping down in the third period and Jamarian Pace and Dazmeon Page got rolling offensively to fuel an 11-3 run to give the Tigers a 33-25 lead with 3:14 left in the third. The Tigers ended the third leading 37-29.
The Tigers built the lead to as many as 16 points in the fourth but were never threatened as they took the 13-point win.
Pace led Newton with 21 points while Page had 16.
Newton boys 49,
West Tallahatchie 30
The Tigers took a 19-point win over the Choctaws to advance to the second round of the Class 2A playoffs.
Newton led just 9-6 at the end of the first period before they outscored the Choctaws 16-5 in the second to lead 25-11 at the half. West Tallahatchie outscored Newton 11-8 in the third before newton finished off the game by outscoring the Choctaws 16-8 for the final margin.
Jamarian Pace led Newton with 16 points while Dazmeon Page had 11 points. Henry often and Jayden Robinson each had six points apiece.
