ANSONIA – The Newton Indians earned a 58-39 WOAC road victory over the Ansonia Tigers Friday night behind a dominant performance from their senior trio.
Senior Luke Cornett led all scorers with a game-high 26 points, while fellow seniors Isaac Hainline added 10 points and Rhett Koffer chipped in eight as Newton controlled the game from start to finish.
“Our seniors have led the way; it’s been fun to watch,” said Newton coach Michael Cantrell. “What has been nice to see is that all three of them are really thriving in their roles, and that is what is driving us fully.”
“They’re playing great right now. They’re being good leaders,” Cantrell continued. “Sometimes the shots don’t fall, but they always fulfill their roles as leaders of the team. They are the catalyst of what we are about, and I’m very proud of them.”
Newton jumped out to an early advantage, taking the opening quarter 20-8 as Cornett scorched the nets for 10 points, including two 3-pointers and a perfect 2-for-2 trip to the free-throw line.
The Indians cooled slightly in the second quarter but still outscored Ansonia 12-10 with balanced scoring, sending Newton to the halftime break with a 32-18 lead. Ansonia’s Carson Tobe paced the Tigers in the period with six points, all coming from beyond the arc.
Newton’s zone defense continued to stifle the Tigers in the third quarter while the Indians added 19 more points offensively, led by 12 additional Cornett points. Ansonia responded with 11 points in the frame, but Newton carried a commanding 51-29 lead into the fourth quarter.
“We played more zone tonight than we have in three years,” Cantrell noted. “We wanted to speed them up, especially when they went small, and tried to get out and pressure them a little bit more. Overall, we collectively played well.”
The fourth quarter was more uneven, but Ansonia managed to outscore Newton 10-8 in the final period. Graham Coppess led the Tigers with four points in the quarter, while Koffer paced Newton with four.
“The fourth quarter was a tad bit sloppy, but that’s what happens,” Cantrell said. “Coming here is not easy. The gym is tight, it’s loud, and it’s a great environment. I was very proud of our kids—they played well.”
Cornett’s 26-point night anchored the Indians’ 19-point conference road win.
BOX SCORE:
NEWTON 58, ANSONIA 39
NEWTON – L. Cornett 26, I. Hainline 10, R. Koffer 8, A. Kane 7, T. Robinson 4, S. Hainline 3 – TOTALS 15 16-24 3 58
ANSONIA – C. Tobe 11, G. Coppess 10, C. Riffle 7, J. MacNutt 5, J. Schmitmeyer, 4, B. Barnt 2 – TOTALS 9 6-6 5 39
3-POINTERS
Newton 3 (L. Cornett 2, T. Robinson 1)
Ansonia 5 (C. Tobe 3, C. Riffle 1, J. MacNutt 1)
SCORE by QUARTERS
20-12-19-07 58 Newton
08-10-11-10 39 Ansonia
