A 12-0 to begin the second half turned a five-point deficit into a seven-point lead less than three minutes into the third quarter and the Newtown High School’s boys’ basketball team was on its way to an 80-70 win over visiting New Milford on January 30 — the team’s sixth victory in a row.

The Nighthawks had their winning streak halted by visiting Bunnell of Stratford in a 68-42 loss to the visiting Bulldogs on February 2, but on the day in which the groundhog determined there would be six more weeks of winter the Nighthawks remained in good position to extend their winter with the postseason in South-West Conference and state playoffs. NHS carried an overall record of 9-6 (6-3 in conference play) into its final handful of regular-season matchups.

Down 41-36 at the half against New Milford, the Hawks were quick to turn things around to start the third. Aidan Walker’s teardrop runner got the run going. Walker’s steal set up Luke Stewart’s go-ahead 3-pointer, and then Stewart returned the favor, stealing the ball and assisting Walker for a 3-point play the old fashioned way, a basket and foul shot, making it 45-41 Hawks. After another defensive stand, Walker’s straightaway 3 pushed the advantage to 48-41.

The Green Wave stopped the run with consecutive 3-pointers to inch to within a point. James Glynn answered with a 3 from the left corner. The teams went back and forth for the remainder of the eight-minute period, with Stewart converting a pretty up-and-under baseline move and Emmet Regan’s steal leading to Stewart’s fast-break basket. It was 58-54 NHS heading to the fourth.

This game featured six ties and eight lead changes, the last one coming when Stewart’s 3-pointer made it 42-41 Newtown less than two minutes out of the halftime break, but it was close most of the rest of the way. Walker’s right-corner 3 opened the fourth-quarter scoring for a 61-54 Nighthawk advantage. The Wave hit a 3 only to be answered by another Glynn basket from downtown. After Teddy Moxham hit a pair of free throws for a 66-57 lead, the Green Wave got it back to a one-possession contest, 66-63, with a pair of 3-pointers just past the midpoint of the fourth.

Walker’s drive and hoop off the glass and straightaway 3-pointer extended the lead to 71-63 with 2:55 to go. Yet another New Milford 3 chopped the deficit back down to five and, following an NHS free throw, a Wave 3-point play the old fashioned way pulled the visitors to within four at 72-68 with just 1:59 left. Stewart’s defensive rebound and coast-to-coast dribble and basket made it 74-68 with 1:17 left. Glynn’s defensive rebound and foul shots made it an eight point game with just under a minute to go and the Hawks held on.

Things got a little tense with a late-game New Milford foul and some pushing and shoving which spilled over briefly after the final buzzer, but cooler heads prevailed.

Newtown Coach Matt Murphy noted that his team got the looks it wanted on offense, but did not hit its shots in the opening half. That changed after the break, and NHS poured in 22 points in each of the third and fourth quarters. Walker finished with 27 points, including a dozen on 3-pointers; Stewart had 16 points; Glynn 14, hitting a trio of 3s in the process; Quinn Velez helped keep the Hawks close with all nine of his points before halftime; and Marcus Gerace dropped in seven.

Velez had seven rebounds and a block; Walker five rebounds, three assists, and a steal; Stewart four rebounds, four assists, and a trio of steals; Glynn four rebounds, four assists, one steal, and a block; Moxham had three points, four rebounds, and a steal; Spencer Maddox logged three points, four rebounds, an assist, steal, and block; and Gerace had three rebounds and an assist.

Murphy said the winning ways are a credit to the players and leadership of the seniors.

“At the beginning of the month (January) our seniors and captains brought everybody together and had a closed-door meeting,” said the coach, adding that it means more to players when words are spoken by teammates rather than coaches. “It made a difference.”

In the Bunnell game, NHS was within a point at 15-14 after one. Glynn hit four 3-points in the opening stanza alone and finished with 14 points. Bunnell went ahead 38-29 at halftime and pulled away in the third quarter with stifling defense.

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