The Newton North girls basketball team began 2026 with a hard-fought 68-47 loss to Acton-Boxborough in a Saturday afternoon contest in Newton.

With several of the Tigers’ regular playmakers unavailable for the game, juniors JT Quinn and Makenna Kelly and senior Nina Bakal made significant contributions for the home side. However, the Tigers were ultimately outmatched against a tall and aggressive Acton-Boxborough squad.

“[Acton-Boxborough] is a very talented team,” said Newton North head coach Todd Sundstrom. “I was really proud of the kids who were out there who gave 100 percent. The best thing is we get another shot at them in a couple weeks at their place, and I’m excited for that opportunity.”

With crisp passing, accurate shooting, and a disruptive full-court press, Acton-Boxborough took the lead early and didn’t look back. Unable to establish any presence in the paint, North relied on the three-point shooting of Kelly (8 points) and Bakal (14 points) to keep the game within reach, but trailed 37-24 at halftime.

In the second half, Acton-Boxborough continued to use their size advantage to secure rebounds and frustrate the Tigers’ interior offense. Starting for only the second time in her North career, Quinn (9 points) was happy with the Tigers’ effort against a difficult opponent.

“As a team I think we worked really hard and we fought as hard as we could given the situation,” she said. She added that she felt comfortable jumping into the role of starting point guard because of the chemistry she has developed with her teammates over the years.

“I’ve known a lot of these girls forever,” she said. “I’m very comfortable with all the girls on the court and I trust them all as teammates and I love them all as friends. So it’s very easy to play with them.”

The loss drops North to 2-4 on the season. But given the positional and scoring challenges posed by a truncated roster, Sundstrom was not frustrated by the end result.

“A lot of kids had to take different roles today,” he said. “It may not have been a pretty final score but there’s a lot we can build off of—we can get those kids the experience they need and ultimately it’s going to help us in the long run.”

North will look to bounce back when they visit Needham on Tuesday, Jan. 6.

Makenna Kelly (11) boxes out during a rebound attempt in the third quarter. (c) Burt Granofsky/Newton Beacon

Mia Mescher (23) rises for a shot in the first half. The Tigers fought hard, but fell to Acton-Boxborough 68-47. (c) Burt Granofsky/Newton Beacon

JT Quinn (10) reaches for a loose ball in the first quarter. (c) Burt Granofsky/Newton Beacon

Head coach Todd Sundstrom talks to the team during a break in play. “We get another shot at [Acton-Boxborough] in a couple weeks at their place, and I’m excited for that opportunity,” he said. (c) Burt Granofsky/Newton Beacon

Nina Bakal (25) is greeted by her teammates after being subbed out of the game in the second quarter. (c) Burt Granofsky/Newton Beacon

With several starters unavailable, the Tigers struggled to match Acton-Boxborough’s size and physicality throughout the contest. (c) Burt Granofsky/Newton Beacon

Mia Mescher (23) drives to the hoop, but her layup attempt is blocked by Acton-Boxborough’s Maura Quirk (1). (c) Burt Granofsky/Newton Beacon

Nina Bakal (25) drives to the hoop. Bakal was North’s leading scorer on the afternoon, with 12 of her 14 points coming on 3-point shots. (c) Burt Granofsky/Newton Beacon

Mia Mescher (23) glides in for a left-handed layup attempt. (c) Burt Granofsky/Newton Beacon