Newton girls basketball team rolls over Dodge

The Newton High School girls’ basketball team overcame a near-week’s layoff and a slow start to down Dodge City 47-40 Friday in non-league play in Dodge City.

Newton struggled with fouls, getting called for 23. Dodge City was called for just 14.

“The girls fought through it,” Newton coach Randy Jordan said. “The girls settled down. They played well. I figured it was going to be a physical game. Dodge City did a lot of pressing. We started to adjust to it well. I told the girls at halftime, at some point we have to start fighting back, and they responded.”

Chelsea Gronau led Newton with 14 points, hitting three 3-pointers.

“She hit two big shots (at the end of the first half and start of the second),” Jordan said. “She played well. I thought we had some mental lapses at times, but the seniors really helped keep the team calm. We kept our composure for the most part.”

Inside players Kate Lehman scored 11 points, and Katelyn Alexander added 10.

“That was very nice,” Jordan said. “We worked a lot in practice trying to get them sealed. They way they run the 3-2, we figured we could get some one-on-ones down there. Getting it to them is another thing. In the first quarter, we tried going over the top. I told them to start using some bounce passes. We were able to do that. When we started hitting from outside, they started extended their defense, and we were able to take advantage inside.”

Valerie Ortiz led Dodge City with 14 points.

Newton trailed 9-5 after the first quarter but came back to take a 12-11 lead on an Alexander 3-point play. Dodge City then ran off five straight points. A Gronau trey at the buzzer cut the margin to one, 16-15, at intermission.

“We practiced against their 3-2, but we didn’t go out and do what we practiced early in the game,” Jordan said. “We told (freshman) Lacey (McCartney) that she was going to have to shoot, and she finally did.”

Newton opened the second half with a Gronau trey and an Alexander 3-point play. Newton led by as many as eight with chances to extend it further.

Dodge City was able to take advantage of Railer foul trouble late in the period to get back within three. An Alexander layup with nine seconds left in the period put Newton back up by five, 35-30.

Dodge City opened the fourth quarter with a trey.

Fouls were 10-3 against Newton early in the fourth quarter. Lehman hit a three-point play with 4:36 in regulation to put Newton back up by six. Arin McMullen followed with a layup. Dodge City got within seven on a free throw with 1:07 left. Newton struggled with turnovers, but the Red Demons struggled with shooting. Gronau hit two free throws with 15.6 seconds to put the Railers up by nine.

Newton, 2-2, opens Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail League Division II play at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Campus.

“They have a new coach,” Jordan said. “They have a couple of athletic girls. I don’t know what to expect from them. I’m waiting for a tape. If we can execute, we can play with about anyone. We need to run the stuff we work on in practice. ... We’re getting there. Every day is a learning curve.”

NEWTON (2-2) — Gronau 0 (3) 5-6 4, 14; McCartney 0 (1) 2-2 1, 5; McMullen 2

0-0 2, 4; Vogts 1 1-2 3, 3; Brack 0 0-0 1, 0; Lehman 5 1-1 3, 11; Bradley 0

0-0 0, 0; Alexander 4 2-2 3, 10; Minkevitch 0 0-0 3, 0; TOTALS 12 (4) 11-13

23, 47.

DODGE CITY (0-3) — Matheny 1 (1) 2-2 3, 7; Ortiz 5 (1) 1-1 3, 14; Briggs 0

(2) 1-2 3, 7; Schinstock 0 0-0 0, 0; Ehrlich 1 3-4 1, 5; Buckner 0 0-2 1, 0;

Snyder 0 0-0 0, 0; Lampe 3 2-4 2, 8; Durler 0 0-0 1, 0; TOTALS 10 (4) 8-15

14, 40.

Newton 4 11 20 12 —47

Dodge City 9 7 14 10 —40