Clinging to a four-point lead with less than three minutes play in a January 15 battle with visiting Bethel, Newtown High School’s boys’ basketball team members weren’t about to let this one slip away. Having lost a pair of OT contests, including a double overtime affair, earlier in the season, the Nighthawks avoided late-game dramatics by closing things out with a 9-2 run for a 52-41 triumph.

“I think the kids wanted it,” said Newtown Coach Tim Tallcouch, whose Nighthawks improved to 2-7. “We came out with energy, we came out with commitment – we came out with a focus.”

Tallcouch noted that the Nighthawks did what they needed to do offensively, played strong defense, and did a good job of rebounding.

Newtown outscored Bethel 18-12 in the final quarter, and never relinquished the lead in the final period as the Wildcats slipped to 1-7.

The Nighthawks trailed 14-13 after one quarter of play, led 23-22 at halftime, and were ahead 34-29 heading into the final stanza. Newtown withstood multiple comeback efforts by Bethel. The Wildcats were within three points and on a mini run late in the third quarter when Tallcouch called timeout. Out of the break, Nick Weiland drained a 3-pointer for a 34-28 lead.

After a Bethel free throw before the end of the quarter and basket early in the fourth, Sam Grossano drained a 3 from the corner to start a 9-0 Newtown run. Dillon Palumbo hit a pair of foul shots to extend the lead to 39-31 with 6:43 left. Sam Duffy grabbed a rebound off a missed Newtown free throw and quickly passed to Mason Melillo for an in-close hoop and a 41-31 lead with just under 4:30 remaining. Tom Cotton rattled home a front end one and one foul shot and hit the second to increase the lead to a dozen with 4:11 to go.

The Wildcats used an 8-0 run to close the gap to 43-39 with 2:42 to play, but got no closer. Palumbo made two free throws to get the lead to five just six seconds later, then Weiland hit two more foul shots with 2:02 left.

After Bethel hit a couple of free throws to make the score 46-41 with 1:56 to go, the Nighthawks used good ball movement to chew nearly a half minute off the clock before Melillo spotted Joe Duero for an uncontested back-door layup, making it 48-41 with 1:20 showing on the scoreboard clock. Duero and Palumbo each added two foul shots in the final minute.

Newtown was sharp from the free throw line, going 13 for 17. The Hawks hit nine 3-pointers, led by a trio from Duero in the first half, and two each from Weiland and Cotton.

Duero and Cotton led the Hawks with 13 and 12 points, respectively, Weiland had eight, Palumbo and Melillo both scored seven, Grossano had three, and Duffy tacked on two as seven Hawks got on the score sheet.

Duffy, Palumbo, and Cotton each had seven rebounds, Palumbo dished out five assists, and Cotton and Duffy combined for five assists.

The Hawks did a nice job of protecting the ball despite tight defense from the Wildcats in the waning minutes of the game.

“The guards have to understand how to play pressure basketball and I think we did a nice job at the end today,” Tallcouch said.

Newtown’s coach is pleased with the stick-to-itiveness of his new-look group despite the early-season struggles for a lineup that was completely revamped following graduation of all of the starters from a year ago.

“They keep coming back; they work hard in practice and they’re ready to go,” he said.