STRATFORD — Newtown High School’s girls’ basketball team saw its South-West Conference tournament championship hopes end in a 70-40 loss to Notre Dame-Fairfield in the title game, at Bunnell High on February 26.

Notre Dame won a hard-fought battle, 56-53, during the regular season but dominated pretty much from the start in the championship clash thanks to accurate shooting from long range and in close.

“It’s a tough thing when they don’t miss and we don’t make anything early,” Newtown Coach Jeremy O’Connell said.

Amy Sapenter's 3-poiner gave the Nighthawks an early 5-4 lead but the Lancers finished the first quarter on a 14-1 run. They led 18-6 after one quarter and 37-16 at the half. They made nine 3-pointers, four by Mac Stone, three from Nique Mayo, and a pair from Yamani McCollough. Stone and Mayo both finished with 18 points, and McCollough scored a dozen.

Sapenter led the Nighthawks with ten points, Juliette Cryder scored eight, Carlie Smith had seven, and Cyleigh Wilson dropped in five. Rebecca Alicea and Shea Murphy both scored three, and Emma Magazu and Allie Bradley each chipped in with two points.

Sapenter and Cryder had five and four rebounds, respectively, and Cryder had two of Newtown's four steals.

Despite the outcome, O’Connell certainly has good reason to be proud.

“Any time you get an opportunity to get to the SWC championship you’ve got to be pleased with that,” said O’Connell, whose teams have made three appearances in the pinnacle game in his ten years at the helm, winning twice, including last winter.

Notre Dame's Erin Harris played solid defense and was named tournament MVP. Teammates Mayo and McCollough were named to the All Tournament Team as were Nighthawks Wilson and Sapenter.

The Nighthawks look forward to the Class LL state playoffs which get underway on Monday, March 2. Check back on The Bee’s webpage and in the February 28 print edition of the paper for more coverage of the SWC title game and a look ahead to the state tourney.