Down 13-0 to start the game/season, trailing by 19 points late in the first half … still behind double digits in the fourth — and Newtown High School’s boys’ basketball team still got itself into position for a potential game-tying shot at the buzzer.

If a season-opening 55-52 setback to visiting Wilton on December 18 is any indication of the kind of fight the Nighthawks will have in them this team stands to at the very least be competitive all season long.

“They fought — could have packed it in. We fought, fought … fought,” Newtown Coach Tim Tallcouch said.

The Nighthawks followed up that setback with a 60-53 win over visiting Darien on December 20, and they will look to continue to make strides as the season unfolds.

“Very nice to get win number one. Back to work in order to correct our mistakes and continue to grow as a team,” Tallcouch said. “Very pleased with the defensive pressure that allowed us to play at a fast pace and get out on the break. Now we have to work on slowing the pace down a bit when we are up and the clock is our opponent.”

In the loss to Wilton, Newtown surrendered five 3-pointers in the opening quarter and fell behind 22-6 after one. The Warriors hit only a trio of shots from behind the arc the rest of the way and scored a combined 19 points in the second and third quarters as the Nighthawks chipped away. After that tough opening quarter, Newtown’s defense stepped up, Tallcouch recognized.

“I think we limited their looks pretty well,” said the coach, whose team trailed 33-15 at halftime and 41-31 heading to the fourth. Wilton hit six of ten free throw attempts in a 14-point fourth quarter to hang on despite a furious fourth-quarter comeback by the Hawks.

Newtown showed good signs in the second quarter. The Hawks got an 18-point deficit down to 12 behind key 3-point shooting of its own, but saw Wilton pull away late in the second.

Down 47-31 early in the fourth, the Hawks used a 7-0 run, capped by a Liam O’Connell long 3-pointer, to finally get the deficit down to single digits midway through the final stanza.

Joe McCray’s steal led to Saahil Ray’s drive for a hoop and McCray was set up by Isaiah Williams for a basket — each time whittling the lead down to six, the second at 51-45 with 1:54 to go.

O’Connell got a rebound and was fouled. He hit a clutch front end one and one foul shot and the second free throw, bringing the Hawks to within 51-47 with 1:09 left.

Eli Williams pulled down and offensive rebound also made a pair of free throws in a one and one situation, banking home the first shot and getting a fortuitous bounce on the second attempt as well, making it 51-49 with 25 seconds to go.

The Warriors missed a pair of free throws in separate trips to the foul line but twice got the offensive rebound and cashed in down the stretch. Trailing 54-49, Newtown again pulled to within two points when Charlie Sepp drained a 3-pointer from the right corner with just 11 seconds remaining.

Another Wilton point on a free throw, foul shot miss, and offensive rebound led to another foul with five seconds to go. Leading 55-52, the Warriors could not seal things at the line and Sepp’s rebound led to an O’Connell chance from the left corner at the buzzer, but his shot was blocked.

O’Connell finished with 16 points and McCray had 15 to lead the Hawks. Isaiah Williams scored eight and Makai Coleman dropped in six. Eli Williams had five rebounds, four assists, and two steals; Sepp came away with a trio of steals; O’Connell and Ray each had two steals.

In the win over Darien, O’Connell led the way with 14 points; Coleman dropped in 13; Isaiah Williams had eight points, seven rebounds, and five assists; Eli Williams scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds; Ray had eight points; and McCray scored seven points and had three assists.

The Hawks visit Ridgefield on Wednesday, December 29 at 7 pm, a contest originally scheduled to be played two days earlier.

Newtown continues its challenging nonconference stretch to open the slate after the New Year. Crosby of Waterbury visits on Tuesday, January 4, and Bassick of Bridgeport hosts NHS on Friday, January 7 — both at 7 pm. South-West Conference play commences Monday, January 10, when New Fairfield comes to town for another 7 o’clock tip.

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