Update: The championship game has been postponed from Wednesday to Thursday, February 21. NHS will take on Bethel in the title game, at neutral site Pomperaug of Southbury, beginning at 7 pm.

Newtown High School’s girls’ basketball team defeated visiting Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport 44-26 in the South-West Conference tournament semifinals, on February 18.

With the win, the second-seeded Nighthawks will face No. 4 Bethel in the championship game which was rescheduled to be played Thursday, February 21, at Pomperaug High in Southbury, starting at 7 pm.

The Nighthawks avenged a regular-season defeat to the Cougars in which they surrendered 54 points with a solid defensive effort, allowing less than half as many points in ousting third-seeded Kolbe.

Bethel upset top-seeded Notre Dame-Fairfield in the other semi.

Against Kolbe, the Nighthawks trailed 5-3 after one quarter of play but seized an 18-8 halftime lead and never looked back.

Amy Sapenter led the Hawks with 16 points and Carlie Smith dropped in 11, highlighted by a trio of third-quarter 3-pointers as Newtown pulled away.

“We did everything we needed to do to be successful and we played for 32 minutes. What I’m most impressed with is our attention to detail the last few days in practice,” said Newtown Coach Jeremy O’Connell, adding that the Nighthawks applied their game plan effectively.

Newtown had early-game struggles on offense but the defense kept things close before the shots starting falling.

O’Connell said of the difference between this and the previous matchup with Kolbe: “Better commitment to rebounding, better commitment to team defense — all the little things.”

The Hawks beat Bethel 49-30 back on January 11.