Newtown High School’s boys’ basketball team visited the Notre Dame-Fairfield Lancers in a rescheduled game (due to snow) on January 18, and the Nighthawks fell 82-48 despite 25 points from Makai Coleman. The Nighthawks returned to home court and fell 63-54 to the Bunnell Bulldogs the next night in a game that, while it did not yield the outcome the Nighthawks would have liked, did provide a glimpse of the fight the Hawks have in them.

Against Bunnell, Newtown never lead but battled back numerous times despite a tenacious turnover-causing Bulldog defense. Bunnell applied heavy full-court pressure and was all over loose balls and rebounds throughout the contest. The Nighthawks trailed 47-32 in the third quarter, got the deficit down to single digits at 50-41 going to the fourth, and finished a 12-0 run to tie things at 50 apiece with five minutes remaining in the game.

Makai Coleman, doubled teamed throughout the night, made his first basket with just 35 seconds left in the third — a 3-pointer which sparked that scoring run. He capped off the run with his only other points of the night, a pair of free throws after being fouled attempting a 3-pointer. Coleman is Newtown’s leading scorer, and went into the game fast approaching his 1,000th career point, but was forced into a different role by the Bulldogs. He set up his teammates with regularity, including an assist on Ryan Zaniewski’s bucket in the opening seconds of the fourth.

“To his credit he did a great job getting his teammates involved,” Newtown Coach Matt Murphy said.

Emmett Regan converted a 3-point play the old fashioned way making a layup and foul shot just 25 seconds into the final stanza. Zaniewski finished a fast break for two more points as the Hawks closed the gap. Newtown’s defense was locked in, forcing a shot clock violation prior to Coleman’s game-tying trip to the free throw line.

The Bulldogs, however, responded with seven straight points and never looked back.

This was a game of runs — big ones. Bunnell jumped out to a 7-0 advantage and led 23-12 after one quarter. Newtown climbed all the way to within two points late in the opening half before Bunnell finished the second quarter with consecutive 3-pointers in the final minute for a 35-27 advantage.

During that second-quarter turnaround Newtown went on an 11-1 run. Declan Regan scored and converted a 3-point play, then set up Emmett Regan for two more points. Emmett Regan drew a charge against Bunnell, Ryan Zaniewski had a steal that led to Declan Regan scoring two more, and Emmett Regan’s runner in the paint brought things to 29-27 late in the opening half.

“I thought we showed a lot of heart, a lot of character to battle back and battle back,” Murphy said.

Declan Regan scored 21 points to lead the Nighthawks; he was a force under the basket throughout the night, and a big part of keeping or getting the Hawks back in the game. Emmett Regan, a sophomore, made his first varsity start and made the most of it with a solid performance and 17 points. Ben Barber hit a 3-pointer, and Drew Bradley and Zaniewski each finished with four points.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.