By Kim J. Harmon

Which is better – beating a previously undefeated team or avenging your only loss of the season?

The players on the Newtown Middle School boys’ basketball team can answer that question because they did just that this past week, slipping past undefeated Memorial in overtime and then following up by avenging their only loss of the season with a 61-47 win over Rochambeau on Tuesday.

The girls did not fare as well, however, falling to both schools.

Read on –

BOYS

Newtown 61, Rochambeau 47

Newtown 60, Memorial 56 (OT)

Once they stopped sharing the basketball with Rochambeau, the Newtown Middle School boys’ basketball team did alright.

The Lions – with the aid of a 22-9 second-half run – avenged their only defeat with a 61-47 win over Rochambeau Tuesday afternoon in Southbury. Josh Engler canned 21 points and Matt Datin added 19 more.

That win made it a really good week for the locals, who last week upended previously undefeated Memorial of Middlebury, 60-56, in overtime. Engler and Datin combined for 42 points and 18 rebounds as the Lions improved to 6-1.

In the win over Rochambeau, the locals spent most of the first half turning the ball over (more than a dozen turnovers, all told) and allowed the Rams to take an early 12-4 lead. The Lions scratched their way back into it, trimming the lead to one, but the Rams slipped back up by six, 22-16, with a three-pointer midway through the second period.

“This is a good team with a lot of talent,” said head coach Tom DeBenedetto, “and if they just play smart they can do really well.”

The two teams traded some baskets and with time winding down, the locals were still six points back. Until Ishan Tatake drained a three-point basket. That basket kick-started a 7-2 run that briefly put the Lions on top, 27-26, before the Rams closed out the half with a bucket of their own.

Still, the second half belonged to Newtown.

Engler and Datin did most of the damage, but Oliver Powers chipped in 11 points as Tatake and Sean Maher (5 points, a big block in the fourth period) had excellent games at the point. Brian Reed and Rob Frangione also had solid days while Rory Noonan and Max Brazo provided a spark off the bench (with Brazo popping in a couple of free throws to ice the game with nine seconds left).

Sean Devaney played well off the glass.

The Lions were 18-of-26 from the free throw line.

Last week, the Lions survived a Memorial three-pointer at the end of regulation that forced overtime. With Engler and Datin combining for 42 points and 18 rebounds, Powers had another solid effort with eight points (all from the free throw line) and eight boards. Maher and Reed did well to break the press and force Memorial into a turnover-filled game.

In the overtime, Tatake and Frangione iced the game with clutch free throws as time expired.

GIRLS

Memorial 50, Newtown 20

Rochambeau 38, Newtown 18

The Newtown Middle School girls basketball team ran into its toughest competition of the season, but a spirited defensive effort against Rochambeau on Tuesday has the Lady Lions looking forward to their next game.

The locals dropped decisions to Memorial (50-20) and Rochambeau (38-18) this week to drop to 2-4 on the season.

In the loss to Memorial, a relatively close game was blown open in the second half by Memorial’s superior outside shooting – which is because the Lady Lions did a fine job of shutting down the inside game. Natalie Dunn and Jenna Bonnacorso played strong defense and forced Memorial to go to their outside game.

Sarah Pettinelli found her stride in this game, with six points and a strong move to the basket to draw fouls. Alex Grant led the team with 10 points.

  In the loss to Rochambeau, the Lions struggled to find the basket early but – at the same time – limited the undefeated Lady Rams to just three points in the first quarter. But Rochambeau went on a 14-0 run in the second quarter to break the game open and Newtown was never able to recover.

“We’re 2-4,” said head coach Will Ryan, “but we’re steadily improving on what has to be done to win some games. Turnovers were a serious problem for our first four games, but we have all but eliminated that problem. We do not have the deep bench, outside shooting threats, or rebounding powers of Southbury, Middlebury, or Brookfield – but the girls are one step away from being a team that is just as good as these other teams.”

The locals continue to get solid effort and heart from Alex Grant, Maggie Donahue, Marilyn LaCroce, Christie Iorfino, and Dunn and strong bench contributions from Kelly O’Conner, Pettinelli, Bonnacorso and Breanne Lubinsky.

“With a few more games behind them,” said coach Ryan, “this Newtown team is going to be very exciting to watch and very difficult to beat down the stretch … especially in the Jockey Hollow Tournament at the end of the season.”