Parkview - Newton
Game Stories

Upperclassmen Trio helps Parkview protect homecourt vs. Newton

Parkview 64, Newton 62

Tuesday night Parkview (7-3) hosted Newton (7-7) in an early Region 4-7A matchup that pitted an up-and-comer in the Panthers vs. an established program loaded with talent in the Rams. Newton, having just fallen out of the Top 10, needed to get back on track against a Parkview team that had quietly gotten off to a hot start. In a back-and-forth battle, it was Parkview who came up with enough stops to earn a signature win to move to first-place in the region at 2-0 while Newton sank to last at 0-2.

The Panthers opened quickly, dealing with Newton’s superior size and athleticism at each position. 6-foot-5 senior Avantae Harper set the tone as a battering ram, using his aggressive motor to score in the paint and give Parkview an early 8-3 lead.

Harper would score eight of his 16 points in the first quarter and collect 13 rebounds and 3 blocks over the course of the game, winning his matchup with 6-foot-7 Miokaye Grant. Newton saw TJ Clark score five points in the opening frame using his pull-up game to his advantage, able to shoot over Parkview’s smaller guards.

Stephon Castle found Jakai Newton in the corner for a late three to knot the game at 16 heading into the second quarter.

Parkview extended their lead to seven points but MJ Whitlock came off the bench for the Rams and provided energy, scoring and playmaking for others.

The Panthers switched from man to a 1-2-2 zone and disrupted the flow of the Rams. Asher Woods, who got hot with 10 points in the quarter, chased the ball up top and applied ball pressure, hindering Newton’s slashing guards from getting anything going downhill. Jason Edwards hit a pair of threes in the quarter and helped Parkview maintain a 39-31 advantage after 16 minutes.

In the third quarter the two teams traded bucket for bucket. Whitlock scored two of his 9 points on a floater to make it 45-39 with 4:17 left before Woods answered with a tough reverse layup to keep the lead at six.

A Whitlock three tied the game at 47 before the Rams stole momentum with a late Castle steal and slam before the buzzer, giving Newton a 51-49 lead.

The Panthers edged ahead in the final frame with Woods and Edwards hitting consecutive threes and would take a 61-56 lead with 3:01 remaining when Nathaniel Belete worked the high-low with Harper.

With the game slowly slipping away, Clark stepped up for the Rams and netted seven of his 16 points in the quarter helping cut the lead to 61-60. Newton had a contested layup attempt with 51 seconds left to take the lead, but he couldn’t convert and the Rams had to send Woods to the line with 27.1 seconds to play. Woods, who finished with a game-high 24 points, would coolly sink 3-of-4 from the line in the final seconds to ice the game and secure the Panther win.

Top Performers

Parkview
Asher Woods – 24 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal
Avantae Harper – 16 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks
Jason Edwards – 15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals

Newton
Stephon Castle – 18 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
TJ Clark – 16 points, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks
Jakai Newton – 11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
MJ Whitlock – 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block

My Take

It was an impressive showing from Parkview, a program that has been decimated by transfers over the years. The talent needs to stay put in Lilburn and trust the process. They are starting to win games and have made strides over the past three seasons. Going up against an intimidating Newton team that had superior length and athleticism at every position, the Panthers locked in defensively to shut down any game changing runs. The 1-2-2 half court defense helped keep Newton out of the lane. Asher Woods was key on both sides of the ball. His activity defensively kept the Rams from getting into a flow. On offense, he showed flashes of being special. He hit some tough threes and was able to finish in the lane against Newton’s length. When it was crunch time, the ball was in the 6-foot-3 junior’s hands. 6-foot-5 senior Avantae Harper helped set the tone early with his physical play inside. He explodes off the floor and can power through defenders to finish above the rim. Harper can score with his back to the basket but can also attack off the dribble. He stays very low when handling the ball and can turn corners with strength. He’s a tough rebounder that high-points caroms. He finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds, exactly on his season average. Jason Edwards, the Gwinnett County scoring leader from a year ago, scored 15 points and hit 3 threes but what impressed me most was his effort on defense. He got up under ball handlers and used his quickness to stay in front and make them uncomfortable. Edwards sacrificed his body numerous times to draw charges as well. His growth on defense makes the Miles College-commit a complete player. The big three has to do heavy lifting on offense for the Panthers. For them to sustain their success and breakout in the playoffs, they will need some more help scoring. Justin James scored four big points in the third quarter but other than him, offense wasn’t found much elsewhere. 6-foot-2 freshman Michael Matthews could be a name to remember. He’s a great athlete with a strong frame already. He had 2 points and 5 rebounds.

Newton was without Jordan Marshall but the Rams have plenty of talent. They are a scary team equipped with college-sized guards that can jump out of the gym. 6-foot-5 sophomore Stephon Castle was most consistent. He scored at all three levels, hitting 3 threes, sinking a pair of mid-range jumpers and even scoring in the post over top of a smaller defender with a turnaround. He plays with good pace and can help out across the box score. 6-foot-3 junior TJ Clark never really got a flow until late in the fourth quarter when he hit a three and a pair of pull-ups. Parkview’s zone defense forced him into more of a passer than a scorer, but he was effective when he managed to get two feet in the paint. 6-foot-3 sophomore Jakai Newton was tough inside. He grabbed 8 rebounds to go with his 11 points, scoring on mid-range shots and hard drives. 6-foot-2 sophomore MJ Whitlock provided a spark. He’s a wiry athlete that can soar above opponents. He brings nice energy and a diverse skill set that helps on both ends of the floor. Even with the loss, Newton is a scary team. They have thoroughbreds across the floor that can thrive in an up-tempo setting. Their guards shoot the ball well and all of them have major upside defensively with their quickness and wingspan. 6-foot-7 junior Miokaye Grant wasn’t much of a factor. He didn’t see big minutes in the second half and was on the bench in crunch time. I would have liked to see him established more on the low block with his size advantage. Playing inside-out may have helped get clean looks for Ram shooters and open up lanes for cutters.