By Steve Bigham

A year ago, the Newtown High School boys’ basketball team opened the season against three of the state’s toughest teams. And although they lost all three, they were competitive in each. Some fans were calling the Nighthawks the best 0-3 squad in the state.

However, Newtown only finished the season with an 11-11 mark, leaving some to wonder if those early season moral victories had any effect on the season as a whole.

Last Saturday, the Nighthawks began the 2000-01 season with another one of those moral victories, a 56-52 loss at home to Warren Harding of Bridgeport, the state’s top-ranked team. Indeed, the ‘Hawks played well enough to win this game as it stood up to every challenge the Presidents threw their way.

And, once again, the early season showing, despite ending in defeat, has Newtown fans excited about the season.

“It was a real good start, but if we don’t win our next game it’s all for naught,” said NHS coach John Quinn, who has certainly seen his share of moral victories during his three-year stint. Newtown was slated to face Immaculate in Danbury Wednesday night.

But while Newtown played up and down the past couple of years, Quinn believes this year’s squad has the potential to provide a more consistent performance night in and night out and should build on Saturday’s contest.

“I really think this team has the potential to be a really good team. I know I said that last year, but this group is different,” Quinn said.

And it showed Saturday. Faced with the kind of full-court press that only Harding can apply, Newtown kept its cool and put a scare into the Bridgeport team. The locals switched defenses up at every turn and remained focused on offense despite having a defender in their face at all times. It also got what may have been one of the most impressive performances by a freshman in the school’s history. Andrew Fiscella entered the game early in the second quarter with his team trailing, 21-8, and with the help of guys like Andrew Smith, Ryan Walker and his older brother, John Fiscella, rallied Newtown back into the game.

“Each shot he hit was bigger than the next,” Quinn said of Fiscella (12 points), who buried his first jumper late in the second quarter than added 10 more points in the second half.

John Fiscella led Newtown with 16 points.

Newtown hurt itself in the first half when it converted just 2-of 11 free throws. Nevertheless, it used a 14-8 run over the last five minutes to cut the deficit to 29-22 at halftime. Harding uses at least 10 players and all of them are top athletes. However, the team has few outside shooters and with Newtown packing in the defense, it struggled with its scoring.

Meanwhile, Andrew Smith showed why he may be the area’s best point guard, calmly taking on the Presidents’ relentless defensive attack.

“He is an outstanding point guard. I’ll take Andrew over any of them,” Quinn said.

Walker and John Fiscella each scored from inside midway through the third period to cap a 12-4 run and cut the deficit to 31-26. John Fiscella’s jumper with 1:30 remaining in the third period made it 38-31. Then, after a Harding basket, Newtown scored six points over the final 40 seconds of the quarter. Andrew Fiscella buried a three-pointer and scored on a driving lay up, which was set up by Torrance Lamb’s huge rebound off a Newtown miss.

Harding regrouped early in the fourth quarter to take a 46-39 lead, but Andrew Fiscella gave the momentum back to Newtown when he split the pressing defense at mid court and dribbled all the way to the hoop for a three-point play to the delight of the Newtown crowd.

After Smith picked up a charge, John Wesley (six points) scored off a rebound to cut the deficit to 46-44 with 3:38 remaining. Harding upped the lead to four points with 2:30 remaining to set up what may have been the turning point of the game. Newtown, needing a basket in the worst way, got the ball down low to Wesley, who missed. Seemingly out of nowhere, Walker (seven points) skied in for the rebound, sailing high above the other nine players. His put back missed the mark, however, and Harding regained possession.

With 1:45 remaining, Harding led 51-44, but Newtown rallied one last time. John Fiscella buried a three-pointer from the corner and then fed his brother, Andrew, for another three-pointer with 30 seconds to go. Newtown trailed, 53-50.

Josh Dittmar fed Smith for an easy basket in the waning moments to make it, 54-52, but Harding hit its foul shots to preserve the win.

“I was 100 percent pleased with the effort. We could have won the game. That certainly does not make us the top team in the state, but I feel we can be a very good team. What I really liked was the energy and enthusiasm, and nobody quit,” Quinn said. “We are way ahead of schedule as far as our preparation.”

Jeff Walcott, Mark DeFeo and Mike Troy also played well for Newtown.

Quinn, and his assistant, Jason Arnauckas, should be credited with a fine coaching performance. They had the squad well prepared for the challenges that Harding brought to the court.

“We figured eventually they would get tired and we were able to break their press down. I thought we could run some offense. We couldn’t, but our players created and responded,” Quinn said.

Jason Holyfield led Harding with 16 points.

Newtown, which saw its season-opener against Brookfield last week postpone because of snow, is scheduled to travel to Bridgeport on Friday to play Kolbe Cathedral.