The third time was the charm. Newtown High School’s boys’ basketball team, after battling back from big deficits to challenge Wilton and Staples of Westport only to come up short, got the job done. Newtown erased a 30-16 deficit after one quarter of play to pull off a thrilling 67-66 win over visiting Torrington, in the home opener, on December 21.

Makai Coleman came up with a huge late jump shot for the lead in the waning seconds and Coach Matt Murphy got his first win with the Hawks.

Torrington was sparked by Will Porthouse who nailed five 3-pointers in the first quarter but was held to just a trio of two-point field goals and nine free throws the rest of the way. He finished with 30 points but was mostly held in check after that torrid start. The key for Newtown was a switch on defense in which a combination of Ryan Zaniewski and Asher Williams face-guarded Porthouse.

“Between the two of them, they limited his ability on offense to score at will. It allowed us to get some defensive stops and we had some quality offensive possessions,” Murphy said. “I think our defensive intensity in the second, third, and fourth quarters was the difference.”

Newtown allowed just one field goal (a 3-pointer) and four free throws in the second quarter and trailed 37-35 at halftime. Torrington led 52-48 going to the fourth, with Newtown’s Dylan Regan scoring on a putback at the buzzer.

The Hawks went on a 10-0 run and finally seized their first lead with 5:42 to play in the fourth when Coleman drove and scored off glass, making it 56-54. A steal by Drew Bradley under the hoop on the defensive end led to Aiden Walker’s long dribble and drive for two points to push the lead to 58-54.

After Torrington tied the score Coleman’s pull-up jumper made it 60-58 Hawks with 4:08 left. The teams traded hoops. A defensive rebound by Andrew Grenier led to Coleman going coast to coast for a go-ahead bucket, making the score 62-60 with 3:14 remaining. After the teams each made one free throw a Torrington 3-pointer gave the visitors a 64-63 edge with 1:08 to go.

Regan’s putback gave the Hawks a one-point lead with 51 seconds left. Torrington reclaimed the lead with 35 seconds remaining. Coleman hit a clutch jumper from straightaway, the decisive basket, with just 14 seconds left. Torrington had a chance at the end but a late steal by Coleman helped seal the Nighthawk victory.

Newtown’s depth certainly helped. The Hawks had ten players get in on the action, all making notable contributions. This included sophomore Teddy Moxham who earned a bloody nose for his hard work.

“He didn’t want to come out. That just shows character, grit, toughness,” Murphy said.

Which is what his Hawks have displayed in all three of their games. To get a win in this one made the effort that much sweeter. Murphy thought his team underachieved a bit to start the season and can build off W number one. After digging into a hole the Hawks dug all the way out, he noted.

“We showed a lot of character — a lot of heart,” the coach said.

Coleman led the way with 24 points. Regan had 17 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Williams scored seven and had nine rebounds, and Zaniewski and Walker both added six points. Wes Keayes scored two points. Walker came up with four rebounds. Williams, Walker, Coleman, Moxham, Drew Bradley, Grenier, and Aidan Licata all had steals.

The Nighthawks return to action on Saturday, December 30, with a visit to Northwestern at 3 pm. They return home Thursday, January 4, when Bethel comes to town at 7 pm.

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