NHS Girls Close Out 2010 With Tourney Win

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown High School’s girls’ basketball team, after winning back-to-back close games, left no doubt about the outcome of their South-West Conference Holiday Tournament championship game against Bethel on December 29. The Nighthawks rolled to 64-30 triumph for their fifth win in six games to begin the season.

Erin Kenning scored 12 points, Jess Lynch scored 11, and Taylor Benson added 10 in the tourney’s pinnacle game. The Nighthawks, after beating Joel Barlow by three points, knocked off Brookfield 63-59 in overtime in the tourney’s first round. Newtown’s big lead against Bethel made it possible for the bench players to get more court time, and everyone performed at a high level.

“Everyone went in and played well. We all hit our shots,” captain Riley Wurtz said. “To be 5-1 going into the New Year is great.”

The Nighthawks began play in 2011 on the road, against New Milford, on January 4, and picked up where they left off — with another convincing win as the Hawks pulled away for a 57-33 victory.

The Nighthawks, after the Friday, January 7 scheduled game at Weston, will return home to play Stratford on January 11 at 7 pm.