Conard hosted Lewis Mills in the first round of the CCC Tournament Thursday night.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

By Paul Palmer. Photos by Paul Palmer and Craig Rosenberg

It was not easy, but it never is in the post-season, but the Conard Red Wolves got a combined 32 points from Riley and Aidan Fox to advance to the CCC Tournament basketball quarterfinals with a 48-46 win over Lewis Mills (Burlington).

“We won and that’s what matters,” said Riley Fox who led all scorers with 17 points for the eighth-seeded Conard. “We could have done better though. We gotta be better.”

The ninth-ranked Spartans actually had the 13-10 lead after the opening 8 minutes in West Hartford. The Red Wolves responded in the second quarter to outscore Lewis Mills 20-14 to hold the 30-27 lead at intermission.

The game itself had an unusual tone to it off the court. Conard usually has a vocal student section loudly cheering all game. Thursday it was Lewis Mills that had the bigger student section and at times made it feel like it was a Spartans home game. “It was a weird environment without that student section,” said Aidan Fox, playing in his first post-season game for Conard.

Red Wolves head coach Jared Leghorn said he knew coming in that it was always going to be a close game. “I know they are 16-4 for a reason,” he said after the game.

It was a choppy flow early in the third as Lewis Mills and Conard held each other to many single shot attempts on basket. When Riley Fox connected on a 3-point play with 4:31 to go, Conard had a 38-33 lead. That five-point lead would be the biggest for either team over the final two periods. With the score at 40-35, things got sloppy for the home team as Mills scored, but Conard missed, Mills scored again and Conard had their attempt blocked. Conard’s Julius Goode then forced a defensive turnover that led to Riley Fox hitting an off-balance 3 from the corner to boost the one-point lead to 4.

“We made lots of mental mistakes tonight and gave them a lot of offensive rebounds,” Leghorn said.

One of those mistakes came as the third quarter was running out. Conard had possession and a chance to increase its lead, but they turned the ball over with :12 to go and Lewis Mills turned it into two points before the buzzer – and it was a one-point game heading to the fourth.

Lewis Mills opened the final quarter with Eli Pelletier hitting the go-ahead basket just over a minute in. The senior guard led the Spartans in scoring with 16 points, despite Conard’s best efforts on defense.

“We knew he could shoot so we were trying to keep him off the 3-line and make him drive into coverage,” said Riley Fox.

Both teams went cold for a large part of the fourth with Conard not scoring until Riley Fox drove the lane pulling in the coverage and then dished the ball out to his brother Aidan at the top of the arc for the 3 and a 46-43 lead. Then, off a Lewis Mills turnover, Max Tartaglia hit a layup with 4:14 to play to give Conard the 48-44 lead.

Those would be the last points that the Red Wolves would score in the game. After the Spartans closed it to 48-46, Conard turned the ball over and Lewis Mills had the chance to tie or go ahead. But Conard’s defense stiffened and forced a shot clock violation and regained possession with 2:23 to go.

With :32 to play, Mills had the ball and got three looks at the basket – grabbing the offensive rebound after each miss. The visitors took a timeout with 9.1 seconds left and off the inbound got the ball to Pelletier whose 3-pointer did not fall, and Riley Fox secured the rebound. But even that was not the end of the game.

Fox was fouled and following a timeout had to safely inbound the ball. In a move that should have surprised no one, Conard set a play to free up Riley Fox as he raced toward the basket, catching the lofted pass and running out the clock.

“I am proud of them for grinding it out,” Leghorn said of his team that now faces No. 1 seed East Catholic (15-1) in the quarterfinals Saturday at Enfield. “They run a really good offense,” Leghorn said of the Eagles. “If we aren’t in the right position they will take advantage.”

The perspective on that game and what lies ahead depends on where you are standing. The senior Fox – Riley – looks at it one game at a time. “We’re gonna be ready Saturday and make the most of it,” he said. “I think no one wants to see us right now.”

For the sophomore – Aidan Fox – it’s about creating something that he has dreamed about for a long time, but knowing he has just one chance to make it reality. “It is surreal,” he said when asked about playing his first post-season game alongside his bother. “When I was in eighth grade I couldn’t wait to be there with my brother.” And now that he is ” there,” he said, “I am going to do everything I can to put a banner on that wall with my brother.”

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