BETHEL - Newtown High School's girls' basketball team has come a long way since an early-January 13-point loss to Bethel. The Nighthawks, who went on to win 12 of their next 13 games on their way to the third seed in the South-West Conference tournament, came close to avenging that loss to the second-seeded Wildcats in the tourney's semifinals, on February 20.

The Nighthawks were beaten 40-34 by Bethel in a game that was the story of two halves.

"We came out, we played good D. We did all the little things in the first half," said Newtown Coach Jeremy O'Connell, whose team held the Wildcats to a single first-quarter field goal en route to building a 14-8 halftime lead. "I think it was fortunate for them that we were only up six at the half."

Missed shots hurt the Hawks in the early going but lengthy possessions on offense and tight defense limited Bethel to single digits.

Things changed after halftime. The Wildcats got two quick hoops, only a minute into the second half. Newtown's Rylee Mulligan drained a 3-pointer for a 17-12 Newtown lead with 6:17 to go in the quarter before Bethel went on a 9-0 run. Newtown didn't score again until the final half-minute of the third but remained within a basket at 21-19 heading to the fourth.

Bethel piled up 19 points in the fourth, 15 of which came from the free throw line, and pulled away late. Kira Smith's 3-pointer trimmed Bethel's lead to 26-25. The Hawks were within a point again, at 30-29 with 1:42 left, but the Wildcats hit their free throws to put the game away. Bethel got to offensive rebounds off a pair of missed foul shots down the stretch, helping to seal things.

"They got every offensive rebound, they got all the loose balls in the second half," O'Connell said.

Mulligan finished with 13 points, hitting three of her team's six 3-pointers, Nicki DaPra scored seven, Kira Smith scored four, Erin Burns and Cyleigh Wilson both dropped in three, and Cailin Wilson had two.