Two games against a pair of South-West Conference teams named the Panthers. Two exciting contests. And a split for Newtown High School’s girls’ basketball team.

The Nighthawks, in a battle of squads with 15-3 overall records coming in, overcame a double-digit deficit to defeat the Masuk Panthers 49-42 at home on February 8. Then Newtown ventured to Pomperaug of Southbury to tangle with those Panthers on February 12; Newtown lost a 55-54 double overtime battle against one of the SWC’s best to end the regular slate with a 16-4 overall mark and 9-4 SWC record. Pomperaug, also 16-4 overall has just two conference losses.

After a sluggish offensive start for both Newtown and Masuk (the game was tied 3-3 midway through the first quarter) the offense picked up. It was 12-10 Masuk after one quarter and the Panthers built a 23-12 lead. Izzy Caron’s two free throws were Newtown’s only points of the second quarter until Sam Diaspro’s 3-point play the old fashioned way with just 1:21 left in the opening half. That was Newtown’s first field goal of the quarter. NHS trailed 23-16 at the half.

Newtown flipped things around in the second half. The Hawks matched their entire first half scoring total with 16 just 4:11 into the third. They took the lead for good just 3:12 into the third and compiled 19 points in the stanza.

Sofia Verdi opened the third-quarter scoring with a 3-pointer seconds out of the break. Bridget McCleary was set up by Caron on a fast break for a hoop that pulled the Hawks to within two. Caron’s left wing 3-pointer answered a pair of Masuk points and brought the Nighthawks to within one at 25-24. Jenna Lagan tied the score with a free throw. Diaspro’s floater in the lane gave the Hawks a 27-25 lead with 4:48 to play in the third. Lagan hit a pair of foul shots with 4:30 left. Masuk called a timeout but the momentum would not be stopped.

McCleary’s right corner 3-pointer extended the lead to 32-25. Diaspro hit a shot of her own from downtown and the lead swelled to ten at 35-25. Masuk finished the third on a 5-0 run and trailed 35-30 heading to the fourth.

Masuk got the first two points of the fourth to pull to within three but did not get any closer. Caron drained a long-range two-point field goal from straight on and connected on a left elbow 3 as the Hawks built a 43-34 lead just past the mid point of the fourth. After Masuk trimmed the deficit to six Newtown answered with two baskets to up the lead to ten, prompting the Panthers to use a timeout.

Lagan was assisted by Caron for a hoop down low and Ava Rochester scored off a pass from Lagan to make it 47-37 with 3:02 left. Masuk hung around and got to within five with 1:03 left but Caron helped seal things with a couple of free throws with 37 seconds to go.

Newtown Coach Jeremy O’Connell was pleased with how his team battled and noted that the defense helped turn things around until the shots began to drop. There was no strategy tweak at the intermission; things just started to work for Newtown in the second half. The defense dictated the offense and helped the Hawks get some good looks on the offensive end, the coach said.

“We got good defensive stops. Sometimes your shots aren’t going to go in but if you keep grinding that’s all you can ask,” O’Connell said. “They came out and played tough. They stuck together defensively.”

McCleary scored 15 points, making a trio of 3-pointers along the way. Caron had 13 points, Diaspro scored nine, and Lagan seven. Caron, Verdi, and McCleary were honored during Senior Night festivities prior to the Masuk game.

Although the Pomperaug game did not go Newtown’s way it was a very competitive game and both of the outcomes against the Panthers show the Nighthawks they can compete with teams that are among the best in the conference as they get set to compete in the SWC Tournament.

NHS will begin conference playoff action with a visit to Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport for a quarterfinal-round matchup Friday, February 16 at 6:30 pm.

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