NHS Girls’ Basketball—

Team Rolls Into Playoffs With Cautious Optimism

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown High School’s girls’ basketball team has plenty going for it as the Nighthawks take aim at a South-West Conference championship.

The Hawks, after all — with a win over Pomperaug of Southbury on February 14 — clinched a first-round home game in the conference tourney, which gets under way this Saturday, February 19. What’s more, pending the results of Wednesday’s SWC action (after The Bee sports section went to press), the Hawks would either be the No. 2 seed (the more likely scenario unless Brookfield pulled off an upset over Lauralton Hall of Milford) or the No. 1 seed — regardless, they’ve beaten Hall.

On the other hand, Newtown has lost to teams that will be seeded behind them. One is rival Masuk of Monroe and the other is Weston, a team that beat the Hawks twice but has lost six of seven games since leading scorer Christina Welsh went down with an injury.

“The league is so strong this year that we have a chance to beat everyone but also, if we don’t play well, we can get knocked off,” Newtown Coach Jeremy O’Connell said.

O’Connell was mostly pleased with his team’s efforts in a 57-48 win over Pomperaug, a battle of teams with 15-3 overall records coming into the contest. Newtown started strongly and finished well, but got out of its style of play and allowed Pomperaug to trim a 37-25 halftime deficit to three early in the fourth quarter. O’Connell would like to see his team put forth a solid 32-minute effort every time out on the floor.

The Nighthawks, when they were on their game against Pomperaug, really took control — at both ends of the court. Taylor Benson took a charge to thwart a Pomperaug scoring effort, and Abbey Doski had a steal — both of which led to late-second quarter baskets. Late in the third quarter, Jess Lynch saved a ball going out of bounds at the baseline by tossing the ball behind her back to Riley Wurtz who proceeded to hit a shot while being fouled. Wurtz sank the free throw for a 3-point play and a 42-32 lead. Newtown led by a dozen heading into the fourth. After Pomperaug closed to within three, Maddy Good stole the ball and set up Wurtz’s fast-break basket as the Hawks began to pull away again.

Wurtz had 22 points, Doski dropped in 10, including a pair of first-half 3-pointers, Lynch had nine, Bridget Power scored six, and Erin Kenning had five.

Newtown was coming off a 60-32 win at Oxford on February 11. Wurtz scored 23, Lynch had 13, and Kenning and Power added eight apiece in that game.

All in all, things have been going well for the Nighthawks, winners of nine straight heading into the regular-season finale at New Fairfield.

“This is when you want to be playing your best basketball and I don’t think we’re playing our best basketball yet — but we’re close,” O’Connell said.