The familiarity that Madison and Autumn Newby enjoy on the basketball court is what you’d expect from two girls who have grown up playing alongside each other. They seem to have this innate ability to find the other on the court.
“It happens a lot,” said Autumn Newby, a sophomore center. “Sometimes she’ll pass me the ball and I’m not even there yet.”
It happened a few times on Friday when Class AAAAAA No. 5 Archer finished the regular season with a 53-43 win over Dacula. The Tigers (21-4) broke open a tight game with an 8-0 in the final four minutes to put the game away.
The run actually began when Autumn Newby had to leave the game with 4:41 left and the Tigers ahead 44-39. She took a turnaround jumper on the baseline and crumpled to the court. Trainers quickly learned she had only suffered a cramp in her left leg, but it was enough to prevent her from returning.
That’s when Madison Newby stepped up with a couple of big plays. After senior Amber Skidgel hit a 3-pointer to put Archer ahead by seven, Newby converted a steal into a layup, then patiently drove the lane for a three-point play. Suddenly the lead was 12 and the game was over.
“They don’t panic,” coach Ryan Lesniak said. “Madison doesn’t panic. Autumn doesn’t panic. They’re veterans. They know what to do.”
On Friday night Madison had 16 points, six assists and seven steals. Autumn, who faced some aggressive defense by Dacula’s tall defenders, had four points and eight rebounds. Archer’s top scorer was Skidgel with 19.
The Newby sisters are a cornerstone on the team, which finished second in the state a year ago. Both were named to the all-state team.
“They’re both pure competitors,” Archer coach Ryan Lesniak said. “They both hate to lose more than they like to win. I’m glad they’re on our side of the fence.”
Madison Newby, a 5-foot-8 point guard, averages 8.2 points, 6.8 assists and 3.4 steals. A Georgia State signee, she is closing in on the Gwinnett County record for career assists; she has 612 assists, trailing only Central Gwinnett’s Michelle Conklin with 621 and Parkview’s Susan Brandau with 664.
Autumn Newby, a 6-2 sophomore, averages 13.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists. She is being recruited by all the major schools in the nation, including Georgia, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Duke and Penn State.
There’s an 18-month age difference between the two, which meant they rarely got a chance to play on the same team. That changed last year when Autumn started high school. It also enabled the two to strengthen their sibling bonds.
“We’re sisters, but we’re really more like best friends,” Madison said. “We’ve got a lot of chemistry.”
And they don’t mind spending time together, whether it’s basketball related or whiling away the hours binging on old episode of “Gray’s Anatomy” on Netflix.
There is mutual respect between the two. Madison said her younger sister has a “high basketball IQ.” Autumn said, “Playing with her is one of the best things that’s happened to me.”
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