Despite trimming large deficits down to just four points, both Newtown High School’s girls’ and boys’ basketball teams lost season-ending state playoff games on the road, and the NHS hockey team also fell in postseason action on March 7.

In Class LL quarterfinal-round play, the fifth-seeded girls’ cagers trailed by 21 points in the fourth quarter before pulling to within 46-42 and possessing the ball with 1:16 to play at Hamden. The fourth-seeded Green Dragons, however, didn’t allow the Nighthawks to get any closer and prevailed 52-42.

The NHS girls scored 23 points in the fourth, highlighted by five 3-pointers — including two from Cyleigh Wilson who finished the game with 11 points. Nicki DaPra scored 13 and Emma Magazu dropped in eight for the Nighthawks.

On the boys’ hardwood, sixth-seeded Naugatuck held off No. 11 Newtown despite a solid comeback effort, 66-60 in the second round. The Hawks fell behind 44-33 at halftime and 55-40 to begin the fourth, and trailed by 13 with less than three minutes to go.

Having overcome Capital Prep’s late-game 11-point lead before winning in overtime in the opening round, the Hawks were not deterred. Down 64-59, Newtown’s defense gave the offense four possessions to close the gap. NHS managed only a free throw after Jack Petersen’s bucket off the glass with 1:27 to play.

Robert DiSibio scored 18 points, Todd Petersen had 14, Jack Petersen 11, Jack Mulligan eight, and Riley Ward six in the defeat.

On the ice, in the Division III state bracket, No. 8 Newtown was beaten by top-seeded Daniel Hand of Madison 5-0 in the quarterfinals, at Bennett Rink in West Haven.

Check back on The Bee’s webpage and in the March 15 print edition of the paper for more state playoff coverage of these teams.