NHS Girls’ Basketball Team Wins Close Games

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown High School’s girls’ basketball team bounced back from its first loss of the campaign, to Weston, with wins over Joel Barlow of Redding on December 23 and Brookfield in the first round of the Holiday Tournament on December 28.

Both games were nail-biters, with the Nighthawks prevailing 43-40 over visiting Barlow in regulation, and nipping Brookfield 63-59 in overtime to earn a spot in Wednesday’s tourney title game (after The Bee sports section went to press). Newtown improved to 4-1 overall.

In the win over Barlow, Riley Wurtz led the way with a 19-point performance. Jess Lynch scored a dozen points, and Bridget Power added six.

Newtown got by Brookfield thanks, in part, to a stellar 6-for-8 free throw shooting effort in overtime. Carly Iwanicki hit a late clutch foul shot to seal the win.

The trio of Wurtz, Power, and Lynch again led the offense, scoring 20, 18, 16, respectively, in the win. “It was really exciting at the end,” Power said.

“It was a good win — it felt good,” said Wurtz, adding that Brookfield had beaten Newtown each of the previous four times the teams played each other.

First-year NHS Coach Jeremy O’Connell is pleased with the direction in which the Nighthawks are moving, but continues to look for improvement.

“I’m very proud of the progress that we’re making. We’re definitely not where we want to be, but it’s a learning experience for all of us right now,” O’Connell said. “The girls are still learning the process of the press, and the rotations, and the defensive transitions, and also — offensively — trying to make sure we don’t settle for shots. If we have an open look we want to take it, but if there’s a better one, making sure we’re making the proper progressions to take a better shot.”

The Nighthawks will begin the New Year with road games against New Milford, on January 4 and Weston, on January 7, returning home to face Stratford on January 11, and rival Masuk of Monroe on January 14, both at 7 pm.

“We’ve made a lot of strides in the last week or so, and are looking forward to everything we have left for the season,” O’Connell said.