No. 1 seed Northwest Catholic decisively defeated fellow West Hartford team, No. 16 Seed Conard, in the CIAC Division I girls basketball tournament on Monday night.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

By Kelly Fleischmann

Conard bid farewell to the 2025-2026 girls basketball season after Monday night’s 79-41 loss against Northwest Catholic, while the Lions move on in the state tournament – looking for a three-peat.

From the first whistle, Northwest dominated the game. After winning the jump, Zoey Canning quickly got two points on the board for the Lionns with a layup. Lilyan Johnson for the Lions scored another two, but CC Cersosimo quickly responded with a 3-pointer to get the Red Wolves on the board.

Canning also nailed a 3-pointer, but considering Northwest’s numerous fouls, Conard managed to get points on the board through free throws.

Though Northwest continued to be in the lead, the Red Wolves kept it somewhat close until there were about four minutes left in the first quarter. Abby Casper got her first of many baskets during the first quarter with a 3-pointer, followed by a two-pointer.

With just two minutes left in the first quarter, Northwest pushed the lead to 11 points, making it difficult for the Red Wolves to even up the score for the second quarter. Towards the end of quarter one. Kiara Foley made a swift pass to Bree Whiles, who made a layup for Conard. The first quarter ended with a score of 20-11, the Lions 9 points in the lead.

Abby Casper started the second quarter strong for Northwest with a drive to the basket and layup. She also drew multiple fouls, and unsurprisingly made the shots, gaining three points for the Lions.

Conard’s Ryelle Gomes managed to squeeze through the Lions’ tight defense and make a layup, but Samantha Casper quickly responded with a 3-pointer, furthering Northwest’s lead. Conard head coach Laurie Cersosimo called a timeout in response to Northwest’s growing lead, and the Red Wolves came out of the timeout with some energy which Gomes fed off of, as displayed by a shot she nailed from inside the paint.

Samantha Casper countered the Red Wolves’ advancement by scoring five points for the Lions with a two-pointer followed by a 3-pointer. Conard got back possession, and tried to slow down the game and maintain possession, but they did so unsuccessfully. Once again, Abby Casper proved her comfort outside the arc after drilling another 3-pointer, improving Northwest’s score to 38, which was double the Red Wolves score of 19.

Lyla Diaz scored her first points in a layup, followed by Canning securing two foul shots, putting the score at 49-19 going into halftime.

Coming out of halftime, Samantha Casper once again scored a 3-pointer to set the tone for the second half. Johnson made a clean assist to Canning who made a layup, and shortly after Johnson made a layup herself. Abby Casper landed another two-pointer, and gave Diaz an assist to improve the Lions’ lead.

Clara McClay got the Red Wolves’ first points in the second half with free throws and a 3-pointer. Northwest continued to dominate, with Conard only getting points on the board through foul shots. With just 10 seconds left in the third quarter, Abby Casper drove to the basket and scored an underhand layup, putting the Lions in the lead by 24 points, with the score being 65-31 heading into the final frame.

Abby Casper began the fourth quarter with a two-pointer, but Comard’s offensive efforts were not over yet, with CC Cersosimo scoring a 3-pointer. Northwest began to continually break through Conard’s defense, with a layup by Diaz and another one by Canning with an assist from Abby Casper. The Lions’ defense got more aggressive, as demonstrated by the numerous fouls called, giving Gomes and Emilie O’Sullivan two free throws each, which they both drilled in the basket. Samantha Casper got her fourth and final 3-pointer, followed by another 3-pointer by Mikartney Hart.

In a last effort to improve the Red Wolves’ score, Gomes scored a layup before getting subbed out The audience gave her a standing ovation to honor her dedication to the program, which is especially impressive as she was the only senior in the program this year. To end the game, freshman Brandy Buckley drove to the basket and secured a final two points for the Red Wolves.

The last whistle blew, with Northwest coming out on top with a score of 79-41, demonstrating the Lions’ strong offensive and defensive capabilities.

Northwest is continuing in the CIAC Division I state tournament, hosting No. 8 seed Danbury in the quarterfinal round on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 6 p.m.. This was the last game for the Red Wolves, whose season came to a close with an overall record of 4 wins and 13 loses.

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