Big second quarter propels Newton girls past Oskaloosa

A big second quarter and another strong defensive performance lifted the Newton girls basketball team to a home win over Oskaloosa on Friday night.

Alex Riney made 3-of-5 from 3-point range, Tori White grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds and Newton’s defense held 6-foot-3 Dasia Foster to just three points in the 36-29 victory during Little Hawkeye Conference play.

It was Newton’s fourth straight win overall and its second straight against Oskaloosa. The Cardinals are 22-15 against the Indians since 2007.

Friday’s win was Newton’s eighth of the season, which is one more than it had all of last year. The Cardinals are allowing just 27.4 points per game in their victories this winter.

The game was tied at 5-all after one quarter, but Newton outscored Oskaloosa 15-7 in the second. The Indians won the second half, 17-16, but it was not enough to complete a rally.

Riney finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals, while White added four points, a career-high 17 rebounds, two assists and two steals and Alex Garvis tallied four points, four boards, three assists and two steals.

White’s 17 rebounds ties her for the fifth most in a single game in program history.

Payton Carkhuff registered nine points and three steals and Hailey Dickerson chipped in eight points and two rebounds.

The Cardinals (8-3, 2-3 in the conference) shot 40 percent from the floor and were 5-of-15 from 3-point range.

Newton won the game despite making only 3-of-14 from the free-throw line and committing 15 turnovers. The Cardinals did finish with 10 assists on their 14 field goals.

Naomi Cole led the Indians (5-5, 1-4) with 12 points. Foster came into the game averaging 20 points and 15 rebounds per game but was held to three points in the loss.

Oskaloosa, which has lost four in a row, was coming off a seven-point home loss to Class 4A No. 9 Pella. It also lost single-digit games to state-ranked Dallas Center-Grimes (48-44) and Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (53-49) before the holiday break.