Newtown High School’s girls’ basketball team, on January 17, welcomed a Notre Dame-Fairfield team that had just one win in its first nine contests, but came in having had dropped each and every one of those tilts by single digits, some in nail-biting fashion.

It came down to just a couple of hoops for the struggling Lancers yet again as the host Nighthawks prevailed 52-48.

“You see the record but their record is not indicative of how good that team is,” said Newtown Coach Jeremy O’Connell, adding that his Nighthawks were prepared for a potential battle in a matchup that had “trap game” written all over it. “We did what we needed to do to get the W.”

It sure was not easy. Newtown led just 31-26 at the half. The Hawks established a seemingly commanding 42-25 lead in the third only to see the Lancers close the gap and make it 42-35 at the end of three.

The Lancers capped an 11-0 run to start the fourth and trailed by just five. Izzy Caron hit a free throw and Jenna Lagan scored on a runner to boost the advantage to eight at 45-37 just over a minute into the last quarter. Back-to-back Lancer 3-pointers sliced the lead to just two only 2:02 into the fourth. Notre Dame had three possessions to try to tie or take the lead and finally pulled a point closer on a free throw just past the mid-point of the eight-minute stanza. After a few fruitless possessions for both squads the Lancers finally took the lead, 46-45 with just 2:16 left.

Newtown could feel this one slipping away. But Sam Diaspro ended the Hawks’ scoring drought when she hit a clutch 3-pointer, from the left elbow, for a 48-46 NHS advantage with 1:34 left. Lagan pounced on a loose ball for a tie-up just 15 seconds later and the possession arrow favored Newtown. Caron set up Lagan down low for a hoop and a 50-46 lead with one minute left.

Ava Rochester got to a loose ball on the court and Newtown called timeout before another held ball situation, but the Lancers were able to get things back to a one-possession affair with a pair of free throws with eight seconds to go. Caron was immediately fouled and calmly sank a pair of win-sealing free throws with seven seconds showing on the scoreboard clock.

Lagan finished the game with 15 points, Caron had 12 points, three assists, seven rebounds, and three steals, Diaspro ten points, three rebounds, and four steals; Rochester added eight points, and Bridget McCleary tacked on five.

Among Notre Dame’s previous losses was a 49-46 setback to an Immaculate squad that handed Newtown its only defeat coming in.

Newtown was coming off a successful trip to New Jersey in which the Hawks defeated Ridgewood 50-37 and Ramsey 46-30. Diaspro had 15 points, Caron 12, McCleary eight, and Rochester seven in the win over Ridgewood. Against Ramsey, Lagan logged 15 points to go along with a dozen rebounds; Diaspro had nine points; and Mo Murphy scored seven, McCleary six, and Rochester five.

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