NHS Girls Bounce Back With Solid Wins

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown High School’s girls’ basketball team is back to its winning ways. The Nighthawks played what Coach Jeremy O’Connell said was its best game of the campaign on January 19. Newtown racked up 44 first-half points en route to a 64-35 triumph at Bunnell of Stratford. With the win, the Nighthawks improved to 8-3 overall and, in doing so, clinched a state tournament berth.

The Nighthawks haven’t slowed down since, rolling past Immaculate of Danbury, on the road, 61-43 on January 24, then knocking off visiting Bethel 68-30 the next night to improve to 10-3 overall and 6-2 in the South-West Conference.

The Bunnell win was a big one for the Nighthawks in more ways than one. In addition to being a playoff clincher, it was a nice rebound triumph for the team coming off a bad loss in which they were held to a season-low 34 points by Masuk of Monroe on January 14. It also marked the return of O’Connell to his former gymnasium where he coached for 14 seasons — eight as a head coach before taking over with the Nighthawks this winter.

“It meant a lot last night,” O’Connell said at his team’s practice the day after beating Bunnell. “You try to not make it personal or anything like that — but it was.”

O’Connell was pleased with his team’s play from the start. “From the opening tip-off we came out with intensity, with passion, with heart and we played our style of basketball — and Bunnell was just shell-shocked.”

Riley Wurtz led the way with 23 points, Jess Lynch had 15, Erin Kenning and Maddy Good each dropped in eight, and Bridget Power scored six. Newtown built a big first-half lead with 44 points before the intermission to drop Bunnell to 4-6 overall.

Newtown knocked off Immaculate behind 14 points by Wurtz, 12 from Lynch, and 11 from Abbey Doski. The Nighthawks built a commanding 37-14 halftime lead behind nine points by Doski and eight from Erin Kenning. Newtown scored in a variety of ways — some in close-in transition, others from the outside in the half-court set — and frustrated the host Mustangs with a turnover-causing full-court press.

Newtown knocked off Bethel by 30-plus points, and held the Wildcats to just 30 for the second time this season. The Hawks had beaten Bethel 64-30 back in December. In the most recent meeting between the schools, Wurtz poured in 19 points, Lynch added 15, and Cassie Ekstrom added 10.

The Nighthawks are scheduled to host Lauralton Hall of Milford this Friday, January 28, at 7 pm, and will visit Kolbe Cathedral on February 1 at 7 pm. O’Connell expects Hall — winners of nine games, including six in a row through the middle of the week — to provide a huge test for the Hawks.

The school’s girls’ and boys’ basketball teams, along with the cheerleaders, are again teaming up with the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials and the American Cancer Society during the “Coaches vs. Cancer” crusade. The NHS cheerleaders will use their pink megaphones to collect money in support of this cause during the girls’ game against Lauralton Hall on Friday, January 28 and during the Tuesday, February 1 boys’ game against Kolbe at 7 pm.