NHS Girls’ Basketball Team Tops Brookfield And Oxford, Faces Tough Test With Pomperaug

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown High School’s girls’ basketball team won its third and fourth straight games this past week, improving to 14-2 overall. The Nighthawks got past host Brookfield 51-47 on Friday, January 27, and toppled visiting Oxford 58-22 on Tuesday night.

Against Brookfield, the Nighthawks led just 38-37 after three quarters and eked out the win behind 18 points by Riley Wurtz, 15 from Bridget Power, and 14 from Jess Lynch.

“We struggled to finish on Friday and it was not from lack of effort or intensity,” Newtown Coach Jeremy O’Connell said. “It was one of those nights where we struggled and Brookfield played great but we found a way to win. And, actually, at this time of year it’s a great opportunity for us to do what we needed to do to find a way to win.”

It’s a key time of the year in that sense because it’s coming to an end. The Nighthawks have just four regular season games remaining and — after that — the team will have to find a way to win to stay alive in the South-West Conference and state tournaments.

The Nighthawks had no problems winning against Oxford. NHS built a 16-0 lead and Oxford didn’t register a point until there was 1:30 to play in the first quarter. Everyone O’Connell put in the game played strong defensively and moved the ball well on offense. Wurtz and Lynch each had 14 points, and Cassie Ekstrom added eight in the rout.

Newtown will have a much tougher test this Friday, February 3, as the Nighthawks visit Pomperaug of Southbury. The Panthers remain undefeated in the SWC, and are 15-1 overall. “Friday night’s game is one of those games where — if we win — okay, we’re in the right spot,” O’Connell said.

The Newtown coach believes his team will have to do what has proven to be capable of — only on a more consistent level — to beat a team of Pomperaug’s stature. “We’ve had glimpses of playing great. We need to put a game together,” he said.

After the Pomperaug game, Newtown will host New Fairfield on Tuesday, February 7. The Hawks visit Joel Barlow in Redding on February 10, and close out the regular slate with a Valentine’s Day clash with New Milford (in Newtown). Each game starts at 7 pm. Then, the defending SWC champion Hawks get going in the conference tourney, beginning with quarterfinal round action on February 18.