The new year hadn't been treating Newman girls basketball very kindly. Entering Friday's matchup with sixth-ranked Darrow, the eight-ranked Cardinals were 3-5 in 2026 with a lot of travel and some tough losses to their NEPSAC AAA foes. They also saw guards Ayla Keefe and Kiyla Fowler go down with injuries.
The Cardinals needed a statement win — and a present for coach Katie Kolinski's birthday — and got one. Despite the shorthanded roster, Newman survived a wild, emotionally-charged contest to win, 54-53, on Ava Egan's free throw in the final 15 seconds. The Cardinals (10-10) went up 36-17 by halftime and led by as much as 21 points before a dramatic rally from Darrow (12-3) tied the game at 53.
"I think our team is playing its best basketball when it matters most, and I think that's most important," Kolinski said. "We had some stretches up and down throughout the season, but our main message is we're preparing for March and the AAA tournament. So little by little, we're just gathering how to finish games and how to play together, and we see different things. So I just like where we're at right now mentally and I like how we've been progressing."
Here are five standouts from the matchup.
