The 2005-06 season started out so slow for the Newtown Middle School basketball program as both the girls and boys dropped their first three games.

But even in the dead of winter, things are heating up out on the floor as the girls captured their first two wins and the boys have won four of their last six.

Read on –

GIRLS

Memorial over Newtown

Newtown over Whisconier

Newtown 57, Bethel 54

With all the captains on the floor and everyone seemingly healthy, the Newtown Middle School girls’ basketball team was able to capture that elusive first win with a strong performance against Whisconier.

Sara Kelley poured in 24 points and Kate Bowen – back from an ankle injury – popped in 12 more. Kait Marsden – who has also spent time on the bench nursing an injury – scored six points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Nicole Elias and Hannah Basch-Gould contributed two points apiece.

The story, though, was the defense. The Lady Lions played a box-and-1 to try and slow down a solid offensive team and Ally Modzelewski did the job, shutting down Whisconier’s top scorer and holding her to just nine markers.

“The whole team ran out to center court to celebrate our first win when the buzzer went off,” said head coach Will Ryan. “So now we look forward to our game against Woodbury and then the Jockey Hollow tournament.”

The locals liked that win so much they did it again, slipping past Bethel, 57-54, on Tuesday. Kelley poured in 31 points, but the two most important points came with the Lady Lions clinging to a 55-54 lead with 17 seconds remaining. After Kelley was fouled, the Bethel called a timeout to ice her but the eight-grader calmly dropped in both free throws to seal the win.

Marsden added a spectacular double-double, notching 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Lyndsey Burns chipped in six points. Bowen, Elias and Meghan Bridges contributed two points apiece.

“The team is really coming together,” said coach Ryan. “We are now at full strength with everyone back due to injuries, the flu, and everything else.”

The Lady Lions needed those two wins after dropping to 0-8 with a loss to Memorial last week. Kelley scored 14 points to lead the offense with Marsden adding three points and nine rebounds. Brittany Wiberg and Elias combined for four points and nine rebounds.

BOYS

Newtown 66, Brookfield 54

Memorial 45, Newtown 39

Newtown 36, Jockey Hollow 32

Newtown 49, Rochambeau 40

Bethel 55, Newtown 54

After dropping the first three games of the 2005-06 season, the Newtown Middle School boys’ basketball team has gotten on a little bit of a run, winning four of its last six contests and improving to 4-5 overall.

Last week, three different players scored in double figures as the Lions defeated Brookfield, 66-54. George Zaruba (21), Ralph Sergiovanni (13) and Peter Young (11) powered the offense while Rob Phillips, Kyle O’Connor and Adam Buccino sparked a defense that allowed just 10 first-half points.

Kevin O’Connell started his first game and tossed in six points.

Two days before, the Lions dropped a 45-39 decision to Memorial despite the efforts of Zaruba and Sergiovanni, who combined for 21 points. Young and Ben Mahony played well off the bench while Kyle Kromberg sparked the D and grabbed six rebounds.

Sergiovanni recorded a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds as the Lions defeated Jockey Hollow, 36-32, back on January 26. Zaruba, Young and Mahony played well on the defensive side of the floor. It was also the Lions’ second win in a row, coming on the heels of a 49-40 win over Rochambeau as Zaruba (18 points, 14 rebounds) and Sergiovanni (11 points, 10 rebounds) both recorded double-doubles. Casey Tenney and Mahony anchored the defense as Kromberg and Jeff DiNicola tossed in six points apiece.

A week before, the Lions fell, 55-54, to Bethel in an overtime heartbreaker. The locals rallied from a 15-point deficit and tied the score on a three-point, buzzer beater by Zaruba. But with three seconds to go in the extra session, Bethel notched the winning points.

Zaruba canned 17 points and Sergiovanni added 14 while DiNicola and Kromberg played sparkling perimeter defense.