The Newington High School girls basketball team has qualified for the state tournament for the first time since 1999 — when I was a student manager of the team as a high-school senior! The Indians won their eighth game of the season Thursday, beating CCC South conference rival Platt 47-37.

Newington is now 8-11 (6-7 in the conference) with one game left. That final game is scheduled for tomorrow at archrival Southington (10-8, 6-6), weather permitting. A win over Southington would give Newington its best record since 1998, but even with a loss, the Indians would still reach the tournament. (A winning percentage of .400 is needed to qualify.)

Thursday’s win was Newington’s second victory over Platt this year. In the first game, on Newington’s home court Jan. 10, I was there as the Indians won 48-44 in vertime. The second game, on Platt’s home court, was delayed by a snowstorm from its original date of Feb. 7, so Thursday (Feb. 13) was Newington’s big day.

Platt is 4-14 overall, 2-11 in the CCC South.

Newington lost its other two games last week, at Bulkeley on Tuesday and at home versus Bristol Eastern on Friday.

CORRECTION, 2/20/02: The Newington girls last made the state tournament in 2000, my freshman year in college. They were 9-11 in the regular season that year, losing in the first round to Bristol Central, according to veteran New Britain Herald sports reporter Ken Lipshez. In order to finish with its best record since 1998, Newington would need to beat Southington and win its first-round state tournament game.