AUGUSTA — It wasn’t initially in the plans of the Cony girls’ basketball team to start the 2024-25 season in a slugfest. But the Rams were up for the challenge.

Cony clawed back from a 13-point halftime deficit, and thanks to a layup from senior Morgan Fichthorn with seconds remaining, the Rams secured a 49-47 win over Oceanside in a season opener Friday night.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Fichthorn said. “We knew it’d be important to take the last shot. I got an opening backside on a back cut and just got the layup.”

Fichthorn (13 points, eight rebounds) and fellow senior Abby Morrill (18 points) took over in the second half for the Rams. Cony was aided by the play of two freshmen – Kya Douin and Gabby Vachon – and perhaps showed a blueprint of what may send the defending Class A North champions on another deep run.

Douin scored 13 points (11 in the second half) and showed her skill beyond the arc, hitting three 3-pointers. Vachon, who scored two points, had no issue getting physical in the post, pulling down five rebounds, and also had three blocks.

“We have four freshmen who are absolute studs,” Morrill said. “They’re amazing players and have so much potential. It’s so exciting to me.”

“We have a good mix of veterans and young ones,” Cony Coach John Dennett said. “Those freshmen are really athletic. Vachon is super athletic, so is Douin. The key is just limiting their mistakes. I just have to try to remember, they played at St. Michael (School) in the Sheepscot (Valley Athletic Conference in middle school), beating teams 80-10. It’s a work in progress, but they did a hell of a job tonight.”

Defending Class B state champion Oceanside was led by senior guard Aubrianna Hoose (24 points) and sophomore Grace Mackie (16 points).

Morrill sparked the Rams in the second half. She scored nine points in the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer with less than two minutes to play that gave Cony a 47-46 lead – its first of the game. Then, with score tied 47-47, Fichthorn broke away from Hoose, received a pass from freshman Rylin Miller and cruised to the hoop for the winning layup.

“It was a great comeback, man,” Morrill said. “We were super frantic. We brought it back together (in the second half), slowed it down, and it was good.”

“It was great to see, because we don’t go anywhere without (Fichthorn and Morrill),” Dennett said.

Fichthorn and Morrill, members of a Cony team that fell 54-30 to Brunswick in the Class A state final last season, both want to end their careers on a high note.

“It sucked losing at states last season,” Fichthorne said.

“It’s really driving us to get going,” Morrill said. “It’s a completely different team dynamic, now that we’ve lost three seniors. I think the big thing is, we want to win, but we want to coach the younger girls so they have that potential once we’re gone. We want to pass the torch to them.”