Basketball Recap: North Newton Takes Loss Despite Strong Performances from Ben Levy and Nicholas Bartrom + How To Watch

North Newton extended their losing streak (dating back to last season) to 12 on Saturday, dropping them down to 0-3. They were four points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 49-45 heartbreaker at the hands of the Highland Trojans. The Spartans lost against the Trojans in their previous head to head back in December of 2024, too, but the margin this time around was much closer than the 62-33 score last time.

Despite the loss, North Newton had strong showings from Nicholas Bartrom, who went 6-for-9 en route to 13 points and five rebounds, and Ben Levy, who shot 50% from the field to rack up 19 points.

As for Highland, they pushed their record up to 4-1 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. While they didn't have the best season last year (they finished 10-14), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Highland's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Cameron Katz, who posted 13 points and five steals. That's the most steals Katz has posted since back in December of 2024. Jake Slaven was another key player, going 6-for-14 on his way to 15 points.

North Newton has already played their next contest (against Hanover Central), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing. Highland also has no score uploaded for their next matchup, this one against Morgan Township.