The Newton Lady Eagles traveled to Fairfield last week to compete in the annual Merry Mule Tournament, turning in a strong four-game showing that ended with a runner-up finish and a 10–6 overall record.
Day 1 – Game 1
Newton 64, Wayne City 22
Newton opened tournament play in dominant fashion, jumping out to a 22–6 first-quarter lead and never looking back.
All eleven Lady Eagles who scored found the basket, led by Allie Hermann with 15 points. Alani Bergbower added 12 points, while Grace Schumacher chipped in eight. Isabel Meinhart and Layla Kuhl each scored six.
Newton scoring:
Hermann 15, Bergbower 12, G. Schumacher 8, Meinhart 6, Kuhl 6, Brooke Gentry 4, Emma Schumacher 4, Ava Duncan 3, Claire Probst 2, Nora Kistner 2, Maddie Brummer 2.
Other Newton stats:
- Rebounding: Probst 6, Brummer 6, Ava Earnest 5
- Assists: Probst 6, Hermann 3
- Steals: Bergbower 5, Probst 3, Meinhart 3
Day 1 – Game 2
Newton 56, Mt. Vernon (IN) 19
Newton followed with another lopsided win, holding Mt. Vernon to single-digit scoring in three quarters.
Hermann again paced the Lady Eagles with 17 points, while Bergbower added 12 and Meinhart finished with 10. Grace Schumacher scored nine and dished out six assists.
Newton scoring:
Hermann 17, Bergbower 12, Meinhart 10, G. Schumacher 9, Probst 4, Brummer 2, Kuhl 2.
Other Newton stats:
- Rebounding: Probst 10, Hermann 4, G. Schumacher 4
- Assists: G. Schumacher 6, Bergbower 3, Meinhart/Probst/Hermann 2 each
- Steals: G. Schumacher 7, Probst 2, Meinhart 2
After Day 1, Newton improved to 9–5 and advanced to the Gold Flight.
Day 2 – Semifinal
Newton 57, Edwards County 55
In a tightly contested semifinal, the Lady Eagles rallied from a slow start and edged Edwards County by two points.
Newton had three players score 13 points: Grace Schumacher, Bergbower, and Meinhart. Brummer added nine, while Probst finished with six.
Newton scoring:
G. Schumacher 13, Bergbower 13, Meinhart 13, Brummer 9, Probst 6, Hermann 3.
Other Newton stats:
- Rebounding: Probst 11, Brummer 7, G. Schumacher 6
- Assists: Bergbower 5, Hermann 4, G. Schumacher 3, Meinhart 2
- Steals: G. Schumacher 5, Bergbower 3, Brummer 2
Championship Game
Fairfield 48, Newton 44
Newton battled host Fairfield to the final horn in the championship game, but came up just short.
Grace Schumacher led Newton with 15 points, while Meinhart followed with 13. Probst and Hermann each scored six as the Lady Eagles outscored Fairfield 15–13 in the fourth quarter.
Newton scoring:
G. Schumacher 15, Meinhart 13, Probst 6, Hermann 6, Brummer 3, Bergbower 1.
Other Newton stats:
- Rebounding: Probst 10, Hermann 6, G. Schumacher 6, Bergbower 3
- Assists: Bergbower 4, Probst 4, G. Schumacher 2, Hermann 2
- Steals: Probst 4, G. Schumacher 3, Bergbower 3
With the second-place finish, Newton moves to 10–6 on the season.
Newton Lady Eagles
Merry Mule Tournament — Fairfield
Day 1 • Game 1
Newton 64, Wayne City 22
Quarter Scores
Wayne City: 6 | 9 | 2 | 5 — 22
Newton: 22 | 18 | 16 | 8 — 64
Newton Scoring
| Player | FG (2) | 3PT | FT | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allie Hermann | 6 | 1 | 0–1 | 15 |
| Alani Bergbower | 3 | 2 | — | 12 |
| Grace Schumacher | 4 | 0 | — | 8 |
| Isabel Meinhart | 3 | 0 | — | 6 |
| Layla Kuhl | 3 | 0 | — | 6 |
| Brooke Gentry | 2 | 0 | 0–2 | 4 |
| Emma Schumacher | 2 | 0 | — | 4 |
| Ava Duncan | 0 | 1 | — | 3 |
| Claire Probst | 1 | 0 | 0–2 | 2 |
| Nora Kistner | 1 | 0 | — | 2 |
| Maddie Brummer | 1 | 0 | — | 2 |
Team Totals:
26–2pt FG | 4–3pt FG | 0–5 FT
Other Stats
- Rebounds: Probst 6, Brummer 6, Ava Earnest 5
- Assists: Probst 6, Hermann 3
- Steals: Bergbower 5, Probst 3, Meinhart 3
Day 1 • Game 2
Newton 56, Mt. Vernon (IN) 19
Quarter Scores
Mt. Vernon: 6 | 2 | 6 | 5 — 19
Newton: 17 | 21 | 13 | 5 — 56
Newton Scoring
| Player | FG (2) | 3PT | FT | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allie Hermann | 5 | 1 | 4–4 | 17 |
| Alani Bergbower | 3 | 2 | — | 12 |
| Isabel Meinhart | 2 | 2 | — | 10 |
| Grace Schumacher | 3 | 0 | 3–5 | 9 |
| Claire Probst | 2 | 0 | — | 4 |
| Maddie Brummer | 1 | 0 | 0–2 | 2 |
| Layla Kuhl | 1 | 0 | — | 2 |
Team Totals:
17–2pt FG | 5–3pt FG | 7–11 FT
Other Stats
- Rebounds: Probst 10, Hermann 4, G. Schumacher 4
- Assists: G. Schumacher 6, Bergbower 3, Meinhart/Probst/Hermann 2 each
- Steals: G. Schumacher 7, Probst 2, Meinhart 2
Day 2 • Semifinal
Newton 57, Edwards County 55
Quarter Scores
Edwards County: 18 | 10 | 8 | 19 — 55
Newton: 5 | 20 | 19 | 11 — 57
Newton Scoring
| Player | FG (2) | 3PT | FT | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Schumacher | 6 | 0 | 1–4 | 13 |
| Alani Bergbower | 3 | 2 | 1–4 | 13 |
| Isabel Meinhart | 3 | 2 | 1–2 | 13 |
| Maddie Brummer | 4 | 0 | 1–2 | 9 |
| Claire Probst | 3 | 0 | — | 6 |
| Allie Hermann | 0 | 1 | — | 3 |
Team Totals:
19–2pt FG | 5–3pt FG | 4–12 FT
Other Stats
- Rebounds: Probst 11, Brummer 7, G. Schumacher 6
- Assists: Bergbower 5, Hermann 4, G. Schumacher 3, Meinhart 2
- Steals: G. Schumacher 5, Bergbower 3, Brummer 2
Championship Game
Fairfield 48, Newton 44
Quarter Scores
Fairfield: 14 | 13 | 8 | 13 — 48
Newton: 11 | 12 | 6 | 15 — 44
Newton Scoring
| Player | FG (2) | 3PT | FT | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Schumacher | 4 | 0 | 7–9 | 15 |
| Isabel Meinhart | 5 | 1 | — | 13 |
| Claire Probst | 3 | 0 | 0–2 | 6 |
| Allie Hermann | 1 | 0 | 4–4 | 6 |
| Maddie Brummer | 1 | 0 | 1–2 | 3 |
| Alani Bergbower | 0 | 0 | 1–2 | 1 |
Team Totals:
14–2pt FG | 1–3pt FG | 13–19 FT
Other Stats
- Rebounds: Probst 10, Hermann 6, G. Schumacher 6, Bergbower 3
- Assists: Bergbower 4, Probst 4, G. Schumacher 2, Hermann 2
- Steals: Probst 4, G. Schumacher 3, Bergbower 3
