NHS Girls’ Basketball—

Stall Ball Almost Works In State Tourney Defeat

By Andy Hutchison

DANBURY — Faced with the challenge of stopping Danbury’s taller, potent offense, the Newtown High School girls’ basketball team set out to keep the ball out of its opponents’ hands in Tuesday’s Class LL State Tournament first round game. It almost worked in a clock-eating, stall-ball effort, but the host Hatters prevailed 31-27 in a slow-paced affair.

The Hatters, who scored at least 60 points six times this year, were held to their season-low point total. This game plan was Newtown’s best shot at winning, NHS Coach Shawn O’Brien said.

“Erin Boggan and Nicole Eanniello are all-league players we had to keep in check — limit their possessions,” O’Brien said. “We had an opportunity to win the game. If we try to go up and down the court with them and get a score in the 50s or 60s our chances of winning are limited.”

Danbury, the tournament’s No. 11 seed, went 14-6 during the regular season. Newtown (12-8) was the No. 22 seed but found itself within striking distance for a win in the final minute. O’Brien was proud of his players’ performance and pointed out that only a few missed opportunities were the difference in the game.

Newtown trailed by as many as six points in the fourth quarter but got to within a basket at 26-24 with 3:44 to play when freshman Jessica Lynch hit a baseline jumper. Down 28-24, freshman Riley Wurtz canned a 3-pointer to pull the Hawks to within a point with 1:46 to play and Newtown got the ball back with a chance to take the lead thanks to stifling defense by senior Jen Brewer that led to a Danbury traveling violation. Newtown, though, got no closer.

Boggan scored 15 points, Eanniello had 7, and Casey Smith added 6 for the Hatters. Boggan and Smith stand at 6-foot-1 and 6-2, respectively, and were difficult for the Nighthawks to guard under the basket.

With no shot clock in high school basketball, the Hawks took advantage and routinely chewed close to, at times, more than two minutes off the clock in single possessions. Both teams mustered just five points in the third quarter.

“It’s frustrating because you want to shoot,” Brewer said.

But the NHS captain realized the game plan was put into effect to counter Danbury’s more potent offense. “We were really outsized on offense,” Brewer said. “They always score like 60 points a game.”

Not on this night, but even Newtown’s ability to hold the Hatters in check was not enough, putting an end to the high school careers of the seniors.

“We’re going to be missing our seniors — Emily Leidlein, Jordyn Good, and Jen Brewer,” O’Brien said. “Not just good players, but good people.”

Newtown’s top two scorers in the game, junior Sara Kelley (11 points) and Wurtz (8) are expected to return to the program next year. Good scored four in her final game.