WOODBRIDGE — Newtown High School’s girls’ basketball team followed its first-round Class L State Tournament win over New Canaan, a 51-23 blowout on March 1, with a season-ending 54-41 defeat at Amity High on March 4.

The No. 12 Nighthawks defeated No. 21 and visiting New Canaan 51-23. They jumped out to a commanding 31-9 halftime lead and added to it, going up 45-13 heading to the fourth quarter.

By the time the game was done 13 NHS players got into the game and nine scored points. Sam Diaspro hit five 3-pointers and scored 18 points and Ava Rochester had ten points to lead the Nighthawks.

Cassie Pickering scored six and Mo Murphy and Kendall Khazadian both scored four points. Addy Cordova had three points, Ana Morris, Leah Morris, and Macey Arcario each had two. Deirdre McCleary, Ava Lombardo, Kyla Kopp, and Madi Weston also saw playing time.

Newtown Coach Jeremy O’Connell was thrilled with his team’s play against the Rams.

“They’re a super-athletic, really good team,” he said of New Canaan. “It was one of the first games we played, start to finish, really well all season. I like how we competed tonight and we rebounded the heck out of the basketball.”

The Amity game was a closely-contested matchup for three quarters. NHS led 12-8 after one quarter and trailed 25-24 at the half. Things continued to be tight in the third. Amity scored the first points of the second half before Ana Morris hit a layup and Diaspro followed with a go-ahead shot. The Spartans went back in front and the teams traded leads with Rochester scoring on a baseline drive off a Diaspro pass, Diaspro banking one home from near the foul line, and then coming up with two more points on a steal and layup. That made it 34-33 Hawks late in the quarter. Amity went back in front before Diaspro connected on a 3-pointer for a 37-35 Nighthawk edge with 13 seconds to go. The Spartans, however, beat the buzzer with a 3 of their own to carry a slim 38-37 edge into the fourth.

Unfortunately for the Nighthawks, they never retook the lead and were held to just four foul shots in the fourth — five-plus minutes apart. Shots, some from outside and others from in close, clanked off the rim or rattled in and out. They just would not fall down the stretch. Amity tacked on points to pull ahead and close it out with some late foul shots.

“The fourth quarter was a microcosm of the whole season. We didn’t finish around the rim, we didn’t take care of the ball, and we couldn’t rebound,” O’Connell said.

Despite the final-quarter unraveling the season overall was a good one with some tough losses of winnable games sprinkled in; the Hawks went 11-9 in the regular slate.

“I’m really proud of the girls for all of their efforts,” O’Connell said.

Seniors who set the tone were captains Murphy, Rochester, and Jenna Lagan, the latter of whom was always there to support her team despite being sidelined with an injury.

“They were the three classiest, greatest kids you could have in your program. I’m proud I had an opportunity to coach them. They will be sorely missed,” O’Connell said.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.