Newtown High School’s girls’ basketball team replicated a dominant performance against New Fairfield, defeating the Rebels — whom they trounced in the last game of the regular season — with an even more convincing triumph in the playoff opener.

Now the Nighthawks will look to reverse their fortunes from their second-to-last outcome of the regular slate and turn the tables on Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport in the South-West Conference tournament semifinals, at home on Monday, February 18, beginning at 7 pm.

Newtown, the second seed in the SWC bracket, toppled the seventh-seeded Rebels 64-23, at home, in the quarterfinals on February 15. The Nighthawks had beaten New Fairfield 48-22 four days earlier.

Carlie Smith scored 14 points and Amy Sapenter dropped in 12 in the playoff opener. Nicki DaPra had nine points, Cyleigh Wilson and Shea Murphy both had six, Juliette Cryder added five, and Cailin Wilson tacked on four. Chloe O'Connell, Julia Gerace, Sarah Nowacki, and Emma Magazu also contributed to the scoring.

Kolbe handed NHS one of its two in-conference defeats with a 54-47 victory over the visiting Nighthawks on February 8. Third-seeded Kolbe visits Newtown this time.

In quarterfinal action, Kolbe ousted No. 6 Weston 53-27.

The winner advances to take on either top-seeded Notre Dame-Fairfield (the other SWC foe to defeat Newtown) or No. 4 Bethel in the conference championship, set for Wednesday, February 20 (site to be determined) at 7 pm.