A December 30 clash between the host Newtown High School and Wilby of Waterbury girls’ basketball teams that was locked up at 19 points apiece at the half had the makings of a close one to the finish. But then the Nighthawks flipped the switch — the turnover-causing switch, that is — in the locker room before retaking the court with authority. Newtown used steal after steal — 15 in all, with most coming in the second half — to set its offense in motion on the way to a 57-46 victory.

The Hawks doubled their first-half point total to seize a 38-29 lead through three quarters, and pulled ahead by as many as 13 points in the fourth on the way to improving to 3-2 heading into their first South-West Conference contest, a 69-25 victory at Stratford on January 5.

Against Wilby, the Nighthawks shook off a bit of a slow start. Sam Diaspro hit a pair of 3-pointers to tie the score and then give NHS the lead for good early in the third. Ana Morris’ steal, one of her five in the game, set up Diaspro for her third basket from beyond the arc among four she would make in the stanza on her way to six in the game — all in that explosive second half — making it 28-24 Newtown just three minutes out of the halftime break.

Diaspro’s steal and layup made it 30-24, and the Hawks began to seize control. Morris had another steal that led to an NHS free throw. Diaspro’s left corner 3 answered a Wilby hoop and pushed Newtown’s advantage to 34-26.

Macey Arcario repeatedly got behind the Wilby defense for fast-break points, including a layup that made it 36-27. Arcario’s steal set up Diaspro for two more points. It took the Nighthawks only 6:02 after halftime to register 19 points.

“Our defensive intensity to come out in the third quarter was fantastic. That starts everything,” Newtown Coach Jeremy O’Connell said. “Our defense needs to be our number one priority.”

Wilby was within seven early in the fourth when Diaspro drained yet another 3 ball. Leading by ten, midway through the final stanza Diaspro hit a pull-up 3-pointer, making it 49-36. Wilby called time-out but couldn’t get the deficit under nine the rest of the way.

Diaspro finished with 31 points to go along with eight rebounds, five steals, and a pair of assists.

“We’re kind of surprised if she misses,” O’Connell said of Diaspro, who has racked up significant point totals in each game thus far.

Arcario (two steals) and Morris (four assists) each had ten points, and Madi Weston tallied six points, six rebounds, and three steals. O’Connell noted that Morris and Weston had strong performances and that Arcario’s ability to run the floor not only creates high-quality scoring chances but also opens up opportunities for other players.

In the win over Stratford, Morris registered a career-high 19 points and six steals, Diaspro logged 22 points, and Addie Kopp and Kendal Kuzma scored their first varsity points.

The Nighthawks, after their home game with Joel Barlow of Redding on Thursday, will visit Pomperaug of Southbury Monday, January 12 at 6 pm and return home Thursday, January 15 to entertain Masuk of Monroe at 7.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.