Greg Rodden scored 20 points and Bob Lapple added 16 more to lead the Newtown eighth-grade boys travel basketball team to a tough win over North Salem.

Jason Smith chipped in with 12 points.

Meanwhile, the boys’ seventh-grade travel team notched its 17th win of the season with a pounding of Greenwich as the girls’ seventh-grade travel team dropped a heartbreaker to Monroe in the TCBL semi-finals.

And the girls’ sixth-grade travel team broke open a close game and roughed up Torrington in the first round of the Ridgefield Tournament.

Here are all the results:

 

Boys’ 8th –

Ridgefield 52, Newtown 43 – Newtown had trouble handling the inside presence of Ridgefield as they pulled ahead late in the second half. Greg Rodden scored 13 points and Mike Maher contributed 11. Dylan Clark was solid in the middle, leading the team in rebounds. Bob Lapple played well defensively.

Newtown 40, Westport 35 – A strong defensive effort enabled Newtown to secure the victory. PJ Cochrane played well defensively, creating turnovers. Jason Smith led the team with 10 points and played a fine overall game. Dylan Clark and Mike Maher combined for 17 points. Greg Larnerd played well defensively. Dan Smith played a strong game at the point.

Newtown 62, North Salem 58 – Needing a victory to play in the championship round, Newtown left their hearts on the floor securing the victory against a tough opponent. Greg Rodden played a strong overall game leading the team with 20 points. Bob Lapple played well on both ends of the floor, scoring 16. Jason Smith scored 12 and his brother Dan hit six straight foul shots down the stretch to seal the victory. Dylan Clark led the team with five blocks.

Boys 7th –

Newtown 58, Greenwich 32 – Newtown jumped out to a 21-point halftime lead and coasted home for its 17th win on the season. Kurt Nacewicz, John Grimaldi, and Dan Quinn combined for 35 points to lead Newtown scoring on the day. All 10 Newtown players scored on the day.

Newtown 71, Danbury 53 – Newtown avenged two earlier season losses to Danbury by taking a 14-point halftime lead. Newtown established its lead through a tough man-to-man defense, and fast-break opportunities. It traded baskets during the second half to earn its 18th win on the season, and a berth in the semifinals of the Ridgefield tournament. Kurt Nacewicz, Ian Cooper, and John Grimaldi combined for 43 points to lead Newtown.

Westport 50, Newtown 40 – Newtown came out sluggish at the beginning of the game. The locals made several attempts to fight their way back in, but ended up falling short. Newtown still qualified for the Ridgefield semifinal playoffs this weekend. John Grimaldi and Kurt Nacewicz combined for 18 points to lead Newtown scorers.

Girls 7th –

Monroe 38, Newtown 36 – Newtown lost in the semi-finals to the tournament hosts, Monroe. Newtown got off to a rough start in the first quarter and was outscored by Monroe 12-3. The locals battled back, though, to take the game down to the final seconds. Nora Lynn Shimko led the scoring with 10 points and chipped in six rebounds and Jordyn Good led the team in rebounding with nine and also scored eight points. Adelle Ceretta also played well with five points and five steals. Kelsey Hopper played excellent defense and had eight rebounds as Rachele Cox pulled in six rebounds. The girls move into the consolation round of the tournament.

Girls 6th –

Newtown 36, Torrington 23 – With the score tied 21-21 late in the fourth quarter, Newtown pulled away to take the lead and grabbed its first win in the Ridgefield Tournament. Sara Kelley scored 12 points while Kate Bowen added seven. Jennifer Daily, Allison Modzelewski and Kristen Tanner combined for 15 points to spark the offense. Kaitlin Marsden, Susan Mason and Nicole Elias combined to rip down 21 rebounds to control the boards for Newtown.