Basketball Game Preview: North Newton Spartans vs. Rensselaer Central Bombers

North Newton is 0-10 against Rensselaer Central since January of 2016 but things could change on Friday. The North Newton Spartans will venture away from home to challenge the Rensselaer Central Bombers at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Having struggled with 14 defeats in a row dating back to last season, North Newton turned things around against Attica on Saturday. They walked away with a 43-32 win over the Red Ramblers. The Spartans pushed the score to 33-13 by the end of the third, a deficit the Red Ramblers cut but never quite recovered from.

North Newton's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jackson Alexander, who went 5 of 9 on his way to 13 points. The dominant performance gave Alexander a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jared Kutsch, who posted eight points and nine rebounds.

North Newton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in three consecutive contests.

Rensselaer Central got their first taste of in-conference action this week and they started things off strong. They enjoyed a cozy 52-36 win over Benton Central on Saturday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Bombers as it spelled an end to their five-game losing streak.

Rensselaer Central's win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 4-11. As for North Newton, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-13.

Things could have been worse for North Newton, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 73-59 loss to Rensselaer Central when the teams last played back in January of 2024. Can North Newton avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.