Newtown Beaten In States—

Crusaders Finally Solve Nighthawk Girls

By Andy Hutchison

After upsetting Lauralton Hall of Milford in the regular season, and in the championship game of the South-West Conference Tournament, Newtown High School’s girls’ basketball team was finally beaten by the Crusaders. Lauralton, the No. 10 seed in the Class LL State Tournament, held off the No. 7 Nighthawks for a 43-38 win in the second round of the tourney at Newtown High on March 4.

Lauralton built a ten-point lead midway through the third quarter before the Nighthawks clawed back to get to within 31-27 on an Abbey Doski 3-pointer with 1:20 to play in the stanza. Down 33-27 early in the fourth quarter, Newtown again got to within four as Jess Lynch hit a shot down low.

Newtown used a relentless full-court press to try to force turnovers, but the Crusaders overcame a late steal by Riley Wurtz. The teams traded baskets throughout most of the final quarter. With the Crusaders ahead 40-34 and trying to build on the lead, Newtown’s Maddy Good forced a held ball and the possession arrow favored the Hawks. Erin Kenning drained a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to get the Hawks to within three, but the visitors made enough free throws down the stretch to seal the win and move on to the quarterfinals of the tournament.

Newtown got 13 points each from Wurtz and Lynch, six from Bridget Power (on a pair of 3-pointers), and three each from Doski and Kenning. The Crusaders got 17 points from Olivia Levey. Both teams were 6-for-12 from the free throw line.

“Very disappointing,” Newtown Coach Jeremy O’Connell said of the defeat. “But we played hard all year. Coming into this season we didn’t have a lot of expectations with everything that was new. Hats off to Lauralton. They stepped up tonight and played very big. It was a great game. They hit shots at the end. We couldn’t hit shots that we need [to make] and that’s what happens.”

Lauralton had a better in-conference regular-season record than Newtown — the only SWC team to defeat the Crusaders this year. “It’s tough beating a good team three times,” O’Connell noted.

Newtown will lose two players to graduation — Sarah Pettinelli and Taylor Benson, both of whom put in four years of hard work and will be missed, the Newtown coach said. O’Connell added that this season marked the best coaching experience he’s had.

“These girls are just amazing kids — I love ’em, I love what they do. I love the amount of effort and enthusiasm they have. I have so much respect for these kids — it’s great,” he said.