The Conard girls basketball team hosted the opening game of the 2024-2025 season in West Hartford on Friday night, beating Newington.

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The Conard Red Wolves survived an abysmal first half that saw them held to 14 points by Newington, then outscoring the Nor’Easters 16-4 in the third on their way to a 36-33 win on Friday night.

The game featured two teams that made it to the Class LL semifinals a year ago, but both teams were sloppy in the first period. Each had multiple turnovers and missed shots in what ended 7-all. Conard struggled with its shooting and was held with few second chances.

The second quarter started well for Red Wolves with senior Emily Knowles hitting a 3-pointer to make it 12-9 before teammate Courtney McPhee found Knowles on an inbound pass and a 14-9 lead. Newington found its rhythm running off six straight points for the 15-14 lead that they would turn into a 25-14 lead at the half.

“They get so stressed out about scoring sometimes, that they forget how good they really are,” said Conard coach Laurie Cersosimo of her team.

A slew of whistles – 13 combined foul calls – in the opening half kept both teams from putting together a sustained game until Newington’s late second quarter run. Trailing by eight with under a minute to go, Conard’s Nicole Gorman appeared to be fouled while moving towards the hoop. Instead, she was called for traveling and then assessed a technical foul when the referee said she tossed the ball out of play. Between the foul shots and ensuing possession, Newington managed to pad its lead to 11 points at the intermission at 25-14.

A lot is expected of Conard this season. The Red Wolves made quarters of the LL tourney two seasons ago and the semis last year. They return a strong core of seniors in All-State selection Knowles as well as McPhee and Gorman. Sophomores Brooklynn Knowles and Caroline Cersosimo, and the addition of junior Ryelle Gomes, help form a solid core. The Red Wolves have a very tough schedule this season and will need the starters and reserves to be ready to contribute every game.

The third quarter saw Conard go on a quick 6-2 run in the opening two minutes to bring some life back into the team and the crowd. Emily Knowles then drew a charge, and Newington was called for a technical foul on the same play. Knowles hit the free throws and then McPhee hit 2 from the line on the Conard possession to turn it into a 27-24 deficit.

After Newington hit a pair of free throws, the entire game turned on the next two possessions by the Red Wolves. Gorman hit a three to make it 29-27 Newington, and then with time running out, drilled another 3 from the left side to give Conard its first lead since early in the first at 31-30.

“She [Nicole Gorman] has been locked in since day one,” her coach said. “She works so hard and is an incredible leader. Her shots got us back in the game.”

In the final quarter, with the Nor’Easters back on top by 1, Brooklynn Knowles grabbed a big second chance rebound and later hit the floor for a tie-up on a loose ball. The energy was emblematic of the team’s second half performance as they fought with renewed energy at both ends of the court.

“Brooklynn’s rebounding in the second half really helped us to get back in the game in the second half,” said Cerosiomo. “It was all of them. They wanted it and knew what they had to do.”

McPhee made it 36-33 Conard with a lay-in with about three minutes to go – and those would be the game’s last points, but not the last excitement.

Newington got the ball back with :38 to play and a chance to tie things up. They got a pair of 3-point shots off and managed to grab the rebounds to keep possession. With :03 left in regulation, the visitors took a time out and had to inbound from out near mid court. The pass was tipped and Caroline Cersosimo grabbed the loose ball and raced to the other end of the court to run out the clock and secure the win.

Emily Knowles finished the game with 16 points, with Gorman and McPhee chipping in nine each. After the game, Cersosimo gave the credit to her players and how they responded after intermission. “We had a nice chat at half about being disciplined, and that is what they did,” said the coach. “That took us all the way to the end (of the game).”

Game notes:

• Conard will be without Callie Cosgrove this season after she transferred out of state to attend a prep school. She was a three-year letter winner at Conard, a three-time all-league recipient, and All-State as a sophomore.
• Cosgrove leaves Conard as the record holder for 3-pointers in a game (seven), which was accomplished three times, 3-pointers in a season (68), career 3-pointers (175), and free throws made in a game (17).
• The Red Wolves go on the road for their next three contests. They are at Glastonbury (17-6 last season) on Monday before a trip to defending Class L Champion Simsbury on Thursday, before meeting Guilford on the 21st.
• Conard is home again on the 27th against NFA in the opening round of the Conard Holiday Tournament.

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