Newtown High School's girls' basketball team began Class LL state tournament action with a 60-38 triumph over visiting Newington, on February 26.

The sixth-seeded Nighthawks advance to a Thursday, March 1, second-round clash with No. 11 Hamden (at NHS, beginning at 7 pm). The Nighthawks set the tone early as No. 27 Newington saw its season come to an end.

Newtown jumped out to a 40-24 halftime lead, went up 57-30 through three quarters, and coasted to victory.

"I think the defensive intensity to start the game and the defensive intensity to start the second half is what dictated the game, and we hit a couple of shots early and everybody fed off that," Newtown Coach Jeremy O'Connell said.

Nicki DaPra led the way with 19 points. Cyleigh Wilson scored 13, Carlie Smith dropped in nine, and Rylee Mulligan and Jackie Matthews contributed six and four, respectively.

Newtown sank ten 3-pointers; DaPra drained four, Wilson had three, Smith two, and Cailin Wilson one.

In the opening quarter, Cyleigh Wilson connected on a pair from beyond the arc and DaPra made another.

Mulligan added six assists and four rebounds. Carolina Stubbs had seven rebounds. Matthews pulled down five rebounds, and came away with four steals, and two blocks. Amy Sapenter had five rebounds, two assists, and two steals to go along with three points.

Sapenter earned plenty of praise from her coach.

"She played great offensively and defensively tonight. She played a tremendous game," O'Connell said.

O'Connell also said that Matthews and Ali Kelleher, who added three points, were stalwarts on defense.

The NHS coach said he is pleased that his team, which went 17-3 during the regular slate, worked hard to earn a first-round game at NHS and defended its home court to earn at least one more game this winter.

The next battle stands to be a tough one.

Hamden sports a 16-4 regular-season record and the setbacks came to very strong teams: Southern Connecticut Conference champion Mercy (twice), SCC runner-up East Haven, and FCIAC champ Trumbull.