NHS Girls Topple Amity In Class LL First Round

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown High School’s girls’ basketball team began Class LL state tournament play with a convincing win. The No. 9 Nighthawks toppled No. 24 Amity of Woodbridge 71-44 at home in the first round on Monday night.

The Nighthawks, with the win, advanced to visit No. 8 Trumbull in a battle of 17-win schools, in the second round on Thursday (after The Bee went to press).

NHS jumped out to an early lead and pulled away behind a stifling defense and fast-paced offense.

“We came out strong and ready to play,” said senior captain Riley Wurtz, who led the way with 24 points and, in doing so, closed to within 38 of becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer (Kelley Haines, 1,274 points).

Erin Kenning dropped in 19, including a half-dozen on a pair of 3-point shots, and senior captain Jess Lynch scored 12. Newtown was in command throughout the game and established a 42-19 halftime lead by generating numerous baskets in its typical transition game – turning defensive stops into fast-break buckets.

For the Nighthawks, the win was a nice way to bounce back following a surprising first-round exit in the South-West Conference Tournament the week before. The Nighthawks expect to have their work cut out against Trumbull and, with a win, beyond, as the state tournament unfolds.

“Every step of the way, from here on out, is going to be tough for us. But I think we have the mental capacity and mental toughness to make it all the way,” Lynch said.

Sure, the girls have to execute and maybe benefit from a few fortuitous bounces, but that mental element is significant, Newtown Coach Jeremy O’Connell points out.

“I told the girls that the teams that are most mentally focused are the ones that advance now,” O’Connell said before finding out Trumbull advanced with a win over No. 25 Bristol Eastern. “Today was a step in the right direction but the next two days we have a lot of work to do — no matter who we play — to take the next step.”

The winner of the second round game faces the winner of top-seeded and unbeaten Danbury and No. 16 Sacred Heart Academy in the quarterfinals on March 5.