By Kim J. Harmon

No doubt about it.

Since the Nighthawks made it all the way to the championship game of the Park and Recreation Youth Basketball Junior Girls Division, they weren’t about to leave that game in doubt last Thursday night at the Newtown Middle School.

Even though the Nighthawks led wire to wire, the Hornets were always a quick run or two away – but, in the end, the Nighthawks held off the Hornets, 30-22, to capture the Junior Girls Division title.

Christina Wolf started the game off with a putback in the lane that put the ‘Hawks up, 2-0. Mary Anders (who finished the game with eight points) added a bucket and Erica Carino (who led all scorers with 12 points) tossed in a jumper near the top of the arc with 10 seconds left in the first to put the ‘Hawks ahead, 6-0.

The Hornets finally got on the board in the second quarter thanks to a bucket from Kaitlyn DiVanno. But Anders – showing the Nighthawks’ determination – answered back with a shot that came only after a sequence of two missed foul shots and two missed field goals.

DiVanno and Kelley Collier answered back for the Hornets, however, with back-to-back field goals that trimmed the Nighthawks’ lead to 8-6. Carino added a short jumper and Jillian Laub dropped in a bomb – off glass – to keep the game as a two-point dog fight.

But then the ‘Hawks began to pull away.

Danielle Alpert dropped in a shot off an inbounds play and then Carino made a power move in the post to put the ‘Hawks back up by six, 14-8. The Hornets saved themselves, a bit, when Samantha Barry made a two-handed, over-the-head shot from just inside the top of the arc with four seconds to play that trimmed the Nighthawks’ lead to four, 14-10.

But the ‘Hawks opened the third quarter on fire. Anders scored two early baskets and Heather Snow added another to put the ‘Hawks up by 10. The basket by Snow, again, showed the determination of the ‘Hawks. That basket started when Wolf made a tremendous save on a ball heading out of bounds. A quick recovery in the corner and a pass inside to Snow finished off the sequence.

The Hornets made a little push after that, however, as Samantha Friedman scored off a pass from Sarah Holroy before Eileen Connor added a free throw and Collier dropped in a basket after stealing the ball at midcourt. All of a sudden, the Nighthawks’ lead was eight back down to five, 20-15.

But that was close enough for the ‘Hawks. Carino made a baseline roller to put the ‘Hawks ahead, 22-15, and then added a layup with 12 seconds to go in the third period to put the ‘Hawks ahead, 24-15.

Holroyd scored for the Hornets to lead off the fourth quarter, but Jessica Kerns scored a pair of baskets – both off assists from Wolf – to give the ‘Hawks their largest lead of the entire game, 28-17. And even though Collier scored a pair of baskets and Barry added a free throw to bring the Hornets to within five points, 28-22, Carino finished off the game with a baseline layup with three seconds to go.

And the Nighthawks were crowned champions.