On the surface, it looks like Newtown High School's girls' basketball team should win its share of games this winter. After all, the Nighthawks are coming off a 15-5 regular-season and lost only one regular player, Olyvia Shaw, to graduation.

But, while it's not to say the Nighthawks won't win as many or more contests, several of the wins they picked up last year were nail-biters.

"We were successful because we won a lot of close games and we won those games because the ball bounced our way," said Newtown Coach Jeremy O'Connell, adding that the Nighthawks will have to work hard to ensure getting those fortuitous bounces again.

Not that the Hawks didn't earn their triumphs.

"We put ourselves in position to win and we were able to come through," O'Connell noted.

Among the closely contested victories were a one-point edging of Masuk of Monroe, a two-point victory over Pomperaug of Southbury, an overtime triumph over New Fairfield.

In the postseason, closely-contested games went the other way. The Nighthawks were one quarter away from advancing to the South-West Conference championship game, ultimately falling in the semifinals to eventual champion Bethel. They were seeded 13th in the Class LL state tournament and pushed No. 4 Middletown to overtime before falling in a second-round contest.

O'Connell is striving to be among the top five teams in the SWC with the goal of finding a way to the top come playoff time. "Pomperaug is loaded," said O'Connell, adding that Bethel; last year's runner-up New Fairfield, which has made three straight conference championship tilts; along with Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport and Notre Dame-Fairfield, should be tough.

Newtown is led by captains Kira Smith, Rylee Mulligan, and Greta Staubly. Other returnees are Cailin Wilson, Cyleigh Wilson, Ali Kelleher, Caroline Stubbs, Jackie Matthews, Nikki DaPra, Carlie Smith, and Amy Sapenter.

The Newtown coach likes the way his team members have hustled in preseason.

"We have a lot of kids that want to play, so our practices are very competitive," O'Connell said.

Last year, a competition within the team and a deep roster worked well for the Hawks, who had a dozen different starting lineups in two dozen combined regular season and state playoff games.

O'Connell won't be surprised for more of the same this winter, depending on who has the hot hand.

As is always the case with O'Connell's teams, the Hawks will work hard defensively and try to dictate the flow of the game with a pressuring, turnover-causing D that can generate fast-break opportunities on the other end of the court.

"We're going to get after it defensively. I really feel like we predicate everything off our defense," O'Connell said.

The coach added that he will look for some more scoring this season. Regardless of how strong the defense is and how much improvement the offense has, one thing going for Newtown is camaraderie.

"That's one of the strengths. These kids like being together," O'Connell said.

The regular season gets started on Monday, December 11, when the Hawks take on Danbury (at Pomperaug High in a season-opening tourney), beginning at 5 pm. Newtown will play St Joseph of Trumbull, another FCIAC team, two days later (also in Southbury). After visiting SWC foe Masuk of Monroe on December 18 at 7 pm, the Hawks will host Hillhouse of New Haven on December 20, at 7 pm in the opener of the Threes For Charity Tournament.