If there is a silver lining to being eliminated from the conference playoffs it is that there is another tournament just around the corner. Newtown High School’s boys’ basketball team was looking for redemption against Weston when the teams met in the South-West Conference Tournament quarterfinals on February 23, but the Trojans advanced with a 63-59 win.

Down nine points with less than two minutes to play Newtown High School’s boys’ basketball team did not give up. No. 5 Weston made enough free throws down the stretch, including two that iced it with four seconds left, to knock off No. 4 Newtown for the second time this winter.

Declan Regan had 24 points and Ryan Zaniewski dropped in 13 for the Nighthawks. Emmett Regan had eight and Asher Williams scored seven. Makai Coleman, Aidan Walker, Drew Bradley, and Ben Barber all contributed to the scoring.

Walker handed out five assists, Declan Regan logged 16 rebounds, and Zaniewski had a trio of steals. NHS led 18-10 after one quarter of play and 32-30 at the half. After Walker set up Williams for a 3-point play the old fashioned way the Hawks took a 30-23 lead late in the first half but the Trojans climbed to within a basket twice in the final minute before the break.

Weston scored the first four points of the second half, setting the stage for a back-and-forth third quarter. A basket and foul shot by Declan Regan gave the Hawks a 35-34 edge. Weston went up 39-35 but Newtown answered with the next six points. Declan Regan set up Williams and Emmett Regan was assisted by Declan Regan to tie the score with two minutes to play in the stanza. Williams scored for a two-point Hawk lead with 1:04 to go. Weston got the last hoop of the period and things were deadlock at 41 going to the fourth.

After Declan Regan hit a pair of foul shots for the lead and Weston got the next four points to take the advantage Zaniewski’s baseline jumper made it 45-apiece, the eighth tie of the night. Weston hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the middle of the fourth and never looked back.

Trailing 55-46 with 1:48 left Newtown did not throw in the towel. Free throws by Declan Regan and a Zaniewski 3-pointer gave NHS some hope, making the score 58-52 with 1:11 left. Down six in the final half minute Zaniewski again hit a 3, slicing the deficit in half. The score was 60-57 with 22 seconds to play. After a Weston free throw Emmett Regan drove to the basket and scored, making it 61-59 with a dozen seconds left. The Trojans iced things with a pair of clutch foul shots in the waning seconds.

“We did not have our best night,” said Newtown Coach Matt Murphy, adding that this time of year teams must play two solid halves of basketball to come out on top. “We made a couple shots down the stretch — battled back.

“This time of year you’re trying to peak and play for a championship. To lose at home is obviously very disappointing,” Murphy added.

The Hawks (13-7 in the regular season) will look to bounce back in the Division II State Tournament. They are the No. 15 seed and will host No. 18 Hall of West Hartford in the first round on Monday, March 4 at 6:30 pm (game times subject to change).

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