At the end of the day a win is a win and a loss is a loss, but some defeats can be more noteworthy, and perhaps fulfilling, than others. Take for example Newtown High School’s boys’ basketball team’s setback to visiting Notre Dame Prep (of Fairfield) on February 4. The Nighthawks were underdogs but nearly pulled off an upset of the Lancers, who remain the only unbeaten team in South-West Conference play. Notre Dame prevailed 61-56 in a back-and-forth contest.

The Nighthawks held the Lancers, who had scored no fewer than 76 points in each of their last four SWC games — including putting up 106 against Brookfield — to their lowest point total against a conference foe in ten games thus far.

Despite Newtown’s stellar defensive effort, the Hawks fell to 5-5 in SWC play having lost 54-48 to now eight-win New Fairfield, on the road, on January 31.

“We continue to play really good basketball. We just can’t seem to get over that hump,” Newtown Coach Matt Murphy said.

Newtown shook off some very close losses with a 57-54 win over Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport, a team that fell 64-50 to Notre Dame, and the Hawks got past Stratford 44-40. But Murphy’s team has had five losses — including a 62-61 nail-biter to nonconference foe Darien — decided in the final quarter, if not waning moments ... or even seconds.

The Hawks led Notre Dame 29-27 at the half and trailed 43-42 heading into the fourth. The teams exchanged the lead multiple times in the final quarter and the game featured more than 20 lead changes.

Aidan Walker scored 16 points, hitting four 3-pointers along the way, Drew Bradley dropped in 14, and Emmet Regan had ten. Asher Williams added six, Quinn Velez four, and Marcus Gerace two.

Bradley added 12 rebounds, two assists, three steals, and a block; Walker had two rebounds, four assists, and two steals; Regan had six rebounds and two assists; Velez had two assists, two rebounds, and a pair of steals; Teddy Moxham had three rebounds, four assists, and a block; and Luke Stewart had two rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

Against New Fairfield, the Hawks trailed 44-21 at the half and the game was tied at 34 apiece heading to the fourth. The Rebels outscored NHS 20-14 in the final period for the difference in the game. Bradley had 14 points, Walker 11, and Williams and Gerace each had eight.

“We are really close to putting it all together,” Murphy said.

The Hawks have four games left, including three against SWC rivals — two of which stand to be good tests — before the conference tournament. Newtown hosts Weston (7-3 in the SWC) on Friday, February 7, then entertains Brookfield (1-9) Monday, February 10, and visits Bethel (5-5) Thursday, February 13 (all at 7 pm), before closing out the regular slate with a Saturday, February 15, home matchup with FCIAC representative Greenwich at 2:15 pm.

Heading into this stretch run, the Hawks sit in seventh place in the conference and in position to move up or down in the standings pending results of other games (the top eight qualify for the tourney), but do control their own conference playoff qualification destiny with wins in all three, and can also get in with a combination of wins and losses with some outside help.

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