The Conard girls basketball team hosted defending Class L champion E.O. Smith Wednesday afternoon in West Hartford, earning a decisive 60-49 win.

Emily Knowles pushes through the double-team fora pass. Conard vs. E.O. Smith girls basketball. Jan. 17, 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

By Ronni Newton

Conard had to wait a day to meet the formidable E.O. Smith girls on the court after school was canceled due to snow on Tuesday, but the much-anticipated match-up was worth waiting for as Conard turned on its jets in the second half to defeat the Panthers, 60-49.

It was the 500th win in the history of the Conard girls basketball program, and moves the Red Wolves to 11-1 on the season.

Conard’s top two scorers accounted for most of the points Wednesday afternoon – with 31 for Callie Cosgrove and 21 for Emily Knowles – but it was a full team effort, coach Laurie Cersosimo said.

Courtney McPhee takes the ball down the court. She ended the game with 6 points. Conard vs. E.O. Smith girls basketball. Jan. 17, 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Knowles hit a 3 to start off the game, but E.O. Smith (8-4) answered with three buckets in a row. Knowles had 11 of Conard’s 13 points in the first quarter, but the Red Wolves trailed by three, 16-13.

The Panthers continued their strong offense in the second quarter, but Cosgrove began to come alive, scoring five points before the end of the half, including hitting a shot as the halftime buzzer sounded. It was 27-26, with E.O. Smith leading by a point, as the teams headed into the locker rooms.

“Just to play our game,” was the message Cersosimo said she gave her players. “E.O. Smith is very good, they’re well coached, they’re aggressive, and I think that they were just a little bit nervous when they came out at the jump and at the half we always talk about playing our game and focusing on us, not the opponent.”

She said the team may have initially gotten thrown off by playing at a weird time of day (3:30 p.m. on a Wednesday), plus the distraction of exams beginning on Thursday.

Playing their game in the second half is what the Red Wolves did, scoring 23 points in the third quarter alone.

Callie Cosgrove goes up for the 3. Conard vs. E.O. Smith girls basketball. Jan. 17, 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

About 30 seconds into the second half, Cosgrove nailed a 3-pointer. She scored a total of 26 points in the second half – tying a school record for the most points set in a half that was set in the first half of the opening game of this season by her teammate Emily Knowles.

Cosgrove continued to drain baskets from behind the arc, finishing with seven 3-pointers in the game, tying her own school record that she shares with Meg Morhardt (2019) and Azaiyah Felder (2020).

While the Panthers’ offense heated up a bit to end the third quarter, Knowles scored just before the buzzer and it was 49-41 Conard with 8 minutes left in the game.

Nicole Gorman defends. Conard vs. E.O. Smith girls basketball. Jan. 17, 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

It was all defense to start the final frame, with more than two minutes before Knowles’ shot went in and Cosgrove followed with a 3.

Conard held E.O. Smith to eight points in the fourth quarter.

“Just patience, and playing our game. We’re difficult to stop when we’re playing our game,” said Cersosimo.

This was the sixth time Cosgrove, a junior, has scored more than 30 points in a game in her career at Conard. Only Felder has more, scoring 30 or more in 10 games during her 2017-2021 career.

Callie Cosgrove. Conard vs. E.O. Smith girls basketball. Jan. 17, 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Conard travels to Enfield on Friday and then will return home Monday to host South Windsor. The Red Wolves’ biggest test of the regular season will likely be on Jan. 31, when they face a currently-undefeated Simsbury team at home.

Cosgrove and Knowles, who is also a junior, are both closing in on the 1,000-point milestone.

With her 31 points on Wednesday, Cosgrove, who missed the first six games of this season with an injury, now has a career 967 points. Knowles is even closer to the milestone with 984 points.

“They’re closing in but I can tell you that is not their focus,” Cersosimo said. “They’re so dedicated to this team and doing whatever they can to make this team successful.”

Caroline Cersosimo inbounds the ball in the fourth quarter. Conard vs. E.O. Smith girls basketball. Jan. 17, 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Emily Knowles on defense in the first quarter. Conard vs. E.O. Smith girls basketball. Jan. 17, 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Caroline Cersosimo (15) defends in the first quarter. Conard vs. E.O. Smith girls basketball. Jan. 17, 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Conard vs. E.O. Smith girls basketball. Jan. 17, 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Coach Laurie Cersosimo talks things over with the team during a timeout. Conard vs. E.O. Smith girls basketball. Jan. 17, 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Courtney McPhee. Conard vs. E.O. Smith girls basketball. Jan. 17, 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Callie Cosgrove. Conard vs. E.O. Smith girls basketball. Jan. 17, 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

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